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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 



FIRST SERIES. 



IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT ; 



BY 



REV. T. J. MACMURRAY. 




CHICAGO : 

JAMESON & MORSE, PRINTERS. 

1877. 



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Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by 

JAMESON & MORSE, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TO 

MY BELOVED, CHRISTIAN MOTHER, 

THIS 

VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY 

INSCRIBED. 



PEEFACE. 



BEING convinced of the rampancy of evil, and believ- 
ing the pure Press to be a most potent means for the 
suppression of it, and for the ennoblement of humanity, 
I offer to the public this volume of sermonic literature, 
which attempts to unmask error, to rescue the careless 
from the vortex of unsanctified usages, and to point out 
the grand source of safety and real enjoyment. Regard- 
less of consequences, and in the face of threats, I have 
spoken undauntedly in exposing evil and warning those 
in danger. The delivery of these discourses has, under 
God's blessing, produced good results; and should their 
circulation among the masses bring a repentant tear, or 
gladden some tremulous heart, or stimulate the christian 
worker to greater activity, I shall be highly gratified. 

God grant that all the readers of this book may be 
eternally benefited by the perusal of it. 







CONTENTS. 



David in IfH77tinent Peril 7 

Literature that Kills 21 

Sabbath Desecration 35 

The Great Defiler 49 

Spiritual Destitution 63 

The Brooklyn Catastrophe 'jj 

A Sleepless Night 90 

Jesus, the Rescuer 103 

The Glorious Refuge 117 

The Only Entrance 129 

Samuel is Called 142 

Unjustifiable Pleas 157 

The Supreme jfudicature 1 70 

Proofs of a Good Mother 1 84 

The Felicitous Extinction 197 



J 



IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



DAVID IN IMMINENT PEEIL. 

"If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be 
slain." — 1 Sam., xix., 11. 

nnHE body-guard of king Saul are in a state 
-*- of uneasiness. They are anxious to know 
where to find the best musician for the king. 
One in the guard suggests a young man named 
David, as minstrel. Saul instantly sends for 
him. David now leaves the field, where he 
has been watching the sheep, and is brought 
before the king. The appearance of the 
youth is prepossessing. He is of short stat- 
ure, with auburn hair, and eyes beautifully 
bright. His countenance is handsome, his 
figure is graceful, and he is distinguished for 
his strength, swiftness and activity. The harp 



IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 



is his favorite instrument, and lie now plays 
before Saul, who is dehghted with the sweet 
strains that playfully flit throughout his daz- 
zhng court; and he loves David and makes 
him his armor-bearer. 

Shortly after this incident, David leaves 
Saul's court, and returns to Beth-lehem, to 
feed his father's sheep. At this time there 
is great excitement throughout the country. 
The armies of the Israelites and Philistines are 
in battle array. The Israelites are drawn up 
on one side of the valley of Elah, and the 
Phihstines drawn up on the other side. A 
champion and giant named Goliath steps 
proudly forward from the ranks of the Phihs- 
tines, and insults the armies of Israel, which 
are stationed on the opposite mountain. This 
giant says : "I defy the armies of Israel this 
day; give me a man that we may fight to- 
2"ether ! " These words fill Saul and his men with 
dismay. David, the king's musician, happened 
to be among the armies of Israel, when the 
giant spoke, for his father had sent him there 
with provisions for Saul's armies; and, upon 
hearing the war-cry, David's martial spirit is 



DA VI D IN IMMINENT PERIL. 



aroused. He leaves the provisions in care of 
the haggage-master, rushes into the midst of 
the hues, to join his brothers, and shows a 
wilhngness to dash upon the insulting foe. 
His brothers rebuke him because of his ac- 
tions, but he heeds them not. Then he hears 
the challenge, now made for the fortieth time ; 
he sees the dismay of his countrymen, and he 
goes to Saul, and says unto him : — " Let no 
man's heart fail because of him; thy ser- 
vant will go and fight with this Phihstine." 
David goes forward to meet the giant. He 
has a shepherd's sling in his hand, and when 
he reaches the stream, running between the 
hills, he picks up five smooth stones out of the 
brook, and places them in his wallet. He ad- 
vances boldly towards his enemy, and the 
Philistine curses him. Then David takes a 
stone out of his wallet, puts it in the sling, 
and, in the name of the Lord, he raises his 
arm, strikes the Philistine in the forehead 
with the stone, effecting a mortal wound, and 
bringing the giant to the ground with violence. 
He now beheads the fallen champion, and the 
Phihstines hastily retreat, and are chased and 



10 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 

defeated by the Israelites. A glorious victory 
has been won, and the triumphant songs of 
the Israelitish women echo through the land, 
for, in the person of David, they have found 
a dehverer mightier than Saul. 

After this celebrated combat, Saul received 
David into his court, and appointed him cap- 
tain of the body-guard — a position of high 
honor and great distinction. But the king 
becomes jealous of David, and is forming plans 
in order to murder him. The murderous de- 
sign of Saul, however, is divulged to David by 
Jonathan, the king's son; and Michal, the 
king's daughter, who is the beloved wife of 
David, assists him to escape at night from the 
royal residence. She too has heard of her 
father's wicked intention, and it has made 
her frantic. Saul has sent out spies to watch 
for David, and slay him in the morning; and 
Michal hurries to her husband's room, opens 
the door, and while tears trickle down her 
cheeks, she exclaims, with a tremulous voice, 
— " If thou save not thy hfe to-night, to- 
morrow thou shalt be slain ! " 



DA VI D IN IMMINENT PERIL, 11 



I remark, first, that ilie unconverted person 
is in imminent danger. If he is not in dan- 
ger, for what purpose, then, was the christian 
ministry instituted? If he is not exposed 
to eternal death, why does God say to the 
ungodly, — "Except ye repent, ye shall all 
hkewise perish"? Man, in his natural state, 
is at variance with his maker. He refuses to 
love and obey God, and is, consequently, de- 
serving of instant death. The Spirit strives 
mth him, but he will not yield, and thus he 
hardens his heart against rehgious impres- 
sions. He chooses the way which leads to 
eternal destruction; he enrolls his signature 
in Satan's register, and becomes an enemy to 
the King of kings — an offender of him who 
hung on Mount Calvary, and permitted his 
body to be lacerated, that sinners might 
escape everlasting punishment. 0, unregen- 
erate one, God is merciful and long-suffering, 
yet he is not to be trifled with. " My Spirit," 
says he, " shall not always strive mth man." 
The sinner, then, is in impending peril. The 
displeasure of Jehovah hangs, like an angry 
cloud, above him, and the foamy torrent of 



12 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



death thunders below him, and if he fall, 
there will be revealed to him the stern reali- 
ties of another world ! 

" How shocking must thy summons be, death, 
To him that is at ease in his possessions! 
Who, counting on long years of pleasure here, 
Is quite unfurnished for the world to come. " 

David was exposed only to bodily death ; but 
the ungodly are exposed to death, physical 
and eternal. They are in danger of losing, for- 
ever, their chances of gaining heaven — ^in dan- 
ger of being too late to obtain an entrance into 
the saints' grand banqueting-hall — in danger 
of hearing the sentence " Depart ! " instead of 
the acclamation " Well done ! " — in danger of 
becoming victims of endless torment! And 
notwithstanding all, they show no anxiety to 
escape. They are in pursuit of only the pleas- 
ures of this life. They laugh wildly as they 
go whirling in the mazy dance, or while they 
raise the wine-chalice to their hps; but the 
Almighty will burst in upon them with ven- 
geance, and break up their sports, as the 
Medes and Persians suddenly entered Bel- 
shazzar's palace, at the time when the king, 



DA VID IN IMMINENT PERIL. 13 

surrounded by his lords, liis wives and Ms 
concubines, was feasting in the gorgeous ban- 
quet-room. Ah! yes, the sound of music and 
song will yet die away, the gay and dazzUng 
circle will be smitten as with a paralytic 
stroke, the decanters will be dashed in pieces, 
flashing hghts will go out, and Grod will de- 
clare his justice and authority. If, then, we 
are not children of Grod, we are in imminent 
peril. At any moment we are hable to be slain 
by the hand of our Creator, and left without 
the faintest hope of securing salvation or 
heaven. We hve, not by any effort on our 
part, but at the pleasure of the Most High. 
Hence we know not when our probationary 
course here will terminate. But sooner or 
later we shall be called to pass through 
death's formidable vale; and, before the sum- 
mons reaches us, how important it is that we 
be reconciled to God, and quahfied for a posi- 
tion among the angels in heaven ! 

I remark, further, that tlie unconverted 'per- 
son receives warnings to escarp e. Michal 
warned her husband, when she said to him, — 
*' If thou save not thy hfe to-night, to-morrow 



14 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

tlioii slaalt be slain." And numerous are the 
ways in which God warns the worldly-minded : 
he warns by operating upon their consciences, 
warns them by the Holy Scriptures, by pulpit 
ministrations, by frequent accidents and 
deaths, by hair-breadth escapes, and in many 
other ways. 

A traveller who was journeying along the 
coast of Scotland, was thoughtlessly induced 
to take the road by the sands. This road is 
safe only at low tides, for on one side of it lies 
the deep sea, and on the other side rise lofty 
and unscalable chffs. The traveller, charmed 
with the view of the rolling weaves on the one 
hand, and the bold, towering rocks on the 
other, paid no attention to the rising waters 
that were fast nearing the natural wall along 
the beach. A man on the cliffs discerned 
him, saw his perilous situation, and warned 
him not to proceed, saying : " If you pass this 
spot, you lose your last chance of escape. 
The tides are rising. They have already cov- 
ered the road you have passed, and they are 
near the foot of the cliffs before you ; and by 
this ascent alone you can escape." The trav- 



DA VID IN IMMINENT PERIL. 15 



eller would not take the warning so kindly 
and earnestly given, but walked on. Soon he 
saw the danger of his situation. The sea, 
ha"\dng reached the cliffs, forced him to stop ; 
but, upon turning round, he found that to go 
back was impossible. He looked up despair- 
ingly to the cliffs, but they could not be 
ascended. At this time the waves had rolled 
to his feet. He sought higher ground, but 
was shortly compelled to move. Seeing a 
small rock near by him, he fled to it as a last 
resort, but the cruel waters rose and covered 
that rock; they rose still higher, and reached 
his neck. He cried for help, but no assistance 
could be rendered him, for he refused to make 
use of the last opportunity to escape. He 
heeded not the warning voice of the man on 
the cliffs, and now the sea rolls over his head, 
and he passes into eternity ! 

The sinner travels on a dangerous road, his 
opportunities to escape are becoming fewer 
and fewer, and he hears the warning voice 
above him. It is the voice of God who says 
to the wicked, "Turn ye, turn ye! for why 
will ye die?" But, alas! how many rush on- 



16 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 



ward to ruin, unmindful of tlie voice of caution ! 
They watcli tlie dark funeral procession fol- 
lowing the cold remains of some loved one to 
the tomb ; they hear the solemn, martial tread, 
and the plaintive notes of the cornet, and the 
muffled sound of drum in the "Dead March!" 
The}^ see the tears of mourning friends, hear 
their bitter sobbings, and sorrowful utteran- 
ces, — all these are warnings to escape eternal 
death. They hear the earnest appeals of 
Christ's ministers, feel the Holy Spirit striv- 
ing with them, and behold sinners fleeing 
"from the wrath to come," — these are warn- 
ings to escape eternal death. They see, in 
nature, the leaves casting aside their beauty, 
and the odorous flowers disrobed of their shin- 
ing apparel, to wither and die, and the grass 
deprived of its verdancy, — these are warnings 
to escape eternal death. The ungodly have 
no excuse. Everywhere there are warnings. 
"How, then, shall we escape, if we neglect so 
great salvation?" 

Lastly, I remark, that iinmediate effort to 
escape is necessary on the part of the uncon- 
verted. Had David refused to act, immedi- 



DA VID IN IMMINENT PERIL. 17 

ately after being warned to make his escape 
from Saul, doubtless lie would have been mur- 
dered either by the King himself or his emis- 
saries. "If thou save not thy hfe to-night, 
to-morrow thou shaft be slain." His wife 
helped him to escape. She opened the win- 
dow for him, and he got out by that way, 
and went to Naioth and hved with Samuel. 
He had to leave the court that night in 
order to save his hfe. With him, it was either 
to remain there and die, or leave and avoid 
death. Promptness and activity were re- 
quired of him, just what are required of the 
unconverted. No time for delay. "Now is the 
accepted time; now is the day of salvation." 

" While God invites, how blest the day! 

How sweet the gospel's charming sound! 
Come, sinners, haste, O haste away, 
While yet a pard'ning God is found. " 

A moment's delay may cause an eternity of 
misery. Salvation and heaven are attainable 
by you now ; but how^ long they will be attain- 
able by you, we are unable to determine. 
Then wiiy allow^ your present chances to shp ? 
You are foolishly standing upon the rapidly 



18 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

sinking wreck — procrastinatiofij while plank 
after plank is drifting out of yonr reach, and 
soon the last plank will leave you. Oh! this 
moment leap from the shattered hulk, and lay 
hold of the plank of eternal deliverance. A 
ship, far out on the ocean, is disabled by a 
storm. She's filling, and passengers and crew 
must leave her instantly ; but there is one on 
board who remains, after all the others have 
abandoned her. That one person thinks it 
unnecessary to hurry, and, as the result of 
his delay, he sinks into a watery grave. 
You exclaim : ' ' How foolish he was ; why did 
he not escape with the others?" Alas! hun- 
dreds have dropped into the pit of the lost, 
by delaying. Folly of follies! Misfortune of 
misfortunes ! 

I want to see this audience making an im- 
mediate start for the safety-rock. I want to 
hear the cry : — 

" Eock of ages, cleft for me ! 
Let me hide myself in Thee!" 

God will help you to snap in pieces those 
chains that bind you to earth. When you go 
home, enter your chamber, and pour out your 



DAVID IN IMMINENT PERIL. 19 

soul in earnest prayer to the Saviour, that he 
may have mercy upon you, and save you. 
Let to-night be a turning point in your his- 
tory. Be determined, through God's grace, 
to reach the "Promised Land." Angels bend 
over you lovingly, and are eager to carry to 
the skies the glad news of your conversion. 
Awake! now from slumber, and act as for 
eternity! — act "in the living present." Time 
is precious and fleeting, and should be im- 
proved. When Elizabeth, Queen of England, 
was upon her death-bed, she cried out and 
said : "Millions of money for an inch of time 1 " 
Ah ! she had wasted more than haK a century. 
While she reclined on a couch of royalty, bit- 
terness, like an arrow, lodged fast in her bosom. 
Her splendid surroundings ; her wardrobe^ 
which, it is said, contained ten thousand 
dresses; her extensive kingdom, — these could 
not take away her misery, in her last moments. 
Then, I warn you not to squander the pre- 
cious moments. Only the present is yours, 
the future you cannot claim. 

Oh ! that now the veil of unbelief were re- 
moved from your eyes, that you might behold 



20 IN DANGER AND UT OF IT, 

mtli inward satisfaction and holy rapture, the 
Friend of sinners — the Saviour of mankind. 
That being removed, your joy would be inde- 
scribable. , Your heart would throb with a 
heavenly ecstacy. Your eye would brighten 
into a lambent flame. Your step would acquire 
fresh elasticity; and from your inmost soul 
there would go up to heaven's throne strains 
of sacred adoration. And the ghstening mul- 
titudes of angelic beings would rise, while 
harp would be struck, and organ would breathe 
out its grand prelude; and now the sudden 
outbreak of song would flood the celestial 
realms with harmony overpowering and divine. 
0! my hearer, reach out your hand, and 
pluck those unfading flowers that grow for you 
on Calvary's simimit. Let Jesus place upon 
your brow the chaplet of forgiveness. The 
hall of spiritual feasting is enlivened with the 
presence of a thousand guests, and you may 
be one of the number. Now pass into the 
banquet while the doors stand open for your 
reception. 



LITERATURE THAT KILLS. 21 

it- — 



LITEEATUEE THAT KILLS. 

"For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into 
our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young- 
men from the streets. — Jeremiah ix., 21. 

4 BITTEE calamity has fallen upon the Jews, 
-^^ because of their disobedience. God's 
anger is kindled against them, and he says: 
"I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of 
dragons." Confusion, destruction, and death 
are among the people. They have forsaken 
God's law, and disobeyed his voice, and walked 
after the imagination of their own hearts, and 
now they must suffer. Hear the lamentation 
and wailing! "For death is come up into our 
windows, and is entered into our palaces, to 
cut off the children from without, and the 
young men from the streets." 

Now, bear with me for a short time, while 
I call your attention to a bitter calamity of 
the present day. I have reference to the sad 
effects of sensational, impure literature upon 



22 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

the young and rising generation. To the pure 
Press we cheerfully say, God-speed; but to 
the Satanic Press, we say, Be thou cursed 
forever! Frank Leslie, it is supposed, prints, 
at least, half a million of his various papers 
every week; and sixty per cent, of that read- 
ing matter is trash; thirty per cent, is gross 
immorality ; and only ten per cent, is valuable 
information ! Another firm pubhshes the IS^ew 
Yorh WeeJdy, which has a circulation of about 
350,000, and which is replete with "blood and 
thunder " stories so hurtful to the young. In 
the city of New York alone, there are "forty 
papers having a weekly circulation of about 
1,200,000 copies, all of which have a demoral- 
izing tendency." But New York is but one 
of many cities that are sending abroad the 
fetid smell from putrid pools of impure litera- 
ture. The souls of children are poisoned by 
means of these licentious pubhcations. Young 
men get hold of them, and shortly they are 
educated for rogues and murderers. They 
march in the foremost ranks of those mighty 
armies of depraved wretches who are ever 
ready to perpetrate the most atrocious deeds. 



LITERATURE THAT *KILLS, 23 

" For death is come up into our windows, and 
is entered into our palaces, to cut off the chil- 
dren from without, and the young men from 
the streets." 

I remark, first, that impure literature is a 
source of a large i^ercentage of crime. When 
young Pomeroy, "the boy murderer," was in 
his cell, under the sentence of death, he con- 
fessed to a visitor that he had read sixty dime 
novels, all about scalping and other murderous 
actions, and he beheved these books had put 
the thoughts into his mind which led to his 
horrible acts in destroying human life. To-day 
there are multitudes confined in prison cells, 
who were sent there directly or indirectly by 
sensational and pernicious weekhes, or such 
books as Oliver Optic's. How very suscepti- 
ble the youthful mind is to evil impressions. 
And impure literature is just adapted to con- 
vey such impressions. It carries on the work 
of death with great rapidity. Night and day 
this work goes on. Printing presses moving 
continually, and sending abroad the worm- 
wood and the gall. "For death is come up 
into our windows, and is entered into our 



24 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



palaces, to cut off tlie children from without, 
and the young men from the streets." 

Evil impressions made on the minds of 
the young, are not easily removed. They 
hold on with the tenacity of the horse-leech, 
till every honest, noble principle is entirely 
uprooted, and the mind perverted forever in 
numerous cases. Some parents cannot see 
any harm in light, unchaste, trash hterature; 
and they admit such reading into their fami- 
lies, allow their children to gorge themselves 
with the poison it carries with it, and, what is 
still worse, they feel proud and elated because 
they have children so studious ! Ah ! httle do 
they know of the impurity that is between the 
gaudy and bewitching covers of those books 
which are thrown broadcast by the Satanic 
press of our country. Little do they see or 
hear of the sad effects produced by the wide 
circulation of demoralizing weekly papers 
among boys and girls, and young men and 
maidens. But they will soon see the effects 
on the minds of their own offspring. Their 
education, in this respect, will not be neg- 
lected. They take advantage of every oppor- 



LITERATURE THAT KILLS. 25 

t unity for storing their minds with boyish 
love stories, or thrilhng histories of terrible 
heroes and beautiful heroines, or with an 
account of how the scheme was formed which 
led to the capture of an Evangeline, and the 
murder of her brave lover. Long after mid- 
night the lamp is burning in their chamber, 
and the youthful student all the while pores 
over those bad books; then, nervous and pale 
and exhausted, he throws himself upon his 
bed, only to be disturbed by troublesome 
dreams. And thus the youth are being edu- 
cated, and made famihar with the arts of 
Satan. Then, with minds fully replenished 
with this sort of knowledge, they start out in 
hfe. Dime novels, one in each pocket, are 
the only guide they have; but, alas! they are 
a guide to villainy, murder and death; — a 
guide to crime, then to the cold cell, then to 
the gallows. 

Our cities are pestered with multitudes of 
vagabonds who do nothing else but read exci- 
tive, impohte hterature, frequent gambling 
.houses and brothels, and commit all sorts of 
crimes ! When the mind is depraved, look out 

3 



26 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

for the actions ! Actions bear a semblance to 
the mind, so that if the actor possess a corrupt 
mind, his actions will be corrupt in their 
nature. Now, whatever contaminates the 
mind should be condemned; and I have 
endeavored to prove to you that novels of 
"blood- and- thunder," and that sensational 
weekhes, etc., contaminate the mind; there- 
fore, the conclusion is, that they should be 
condemned. I tell you, if all persons would 
trample such literature beneath their feet, the 
event would shorten the long lists of crimes 
shown by pohce statistics, and would save 
milhons who are now growing up to manhood 
and womanhood, and who must take the field 
after the present armies shall have fallen ! 

Again: hnpiire literature is a source of 
much domestic grief. Mothers have wept in 
secret, because their childi*en, whom they 
endeavored to train up in the right way, were 
being injured with pernicious reading. Once 
they had no occasion to weep on this account, 
for then the delusive charm of wicked books 
had not been thro^^Tii around them, to allure 
them from the pathway of virtue to that of 



LITERA TURE THA T KILLS. 27 



vice. Then, their minds were entirely free 
from the pollution ejected by the press of 
Satan. The sweet innocence of their tender 
youth shone through their actions and faces, 
in all its attractiveness, like as the dazzhng 
sunbeams shine benignly through the forest's 
fohage, on a bright summer's morning. In 
their homes love was peacefully enshrined; 
cheerfulness suffered no sorrow to enter ; and 
parents exulted in the prospect of seeing their 
sons and daughters filling high stations in hfe. 
But, alas! love loses its warmth; and merri- 
ment turns into grief ; and brightest hopes are 
blasted ! The destroying angel of demoralizing 
hterature has flown over these homes ; and its 
black, broad wings have carried bitterness and 
death into once happy families. Young men, 
who would have shone in society, and would 
have been a blessing to their fellow-men, but 
for evil literature, have fallen never to rise. 
And intelligent young women have suffered 
the same sad fate. Family circles broken! 
Domestic ties snapped ! The beauty and inno- 
cence of youth gone forever ! Hearts deeply 
wounded ! 



28 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



There is no happier place on earth than 
home, if love is there. It is our terrestrial 
heaven ! I hear no sweeter sounds than those 
I heard when at home. No other voice 
arouses within me emotions so joyous as those 
awakened b}^ my mother's voice. It is not 
pageantry, nor boundless wealth that makes 
home. The abode may be a stately palace, 
having all the palatial adornments the mind 
could possibly conceive, and still it might not 
have the pleasures of home, — still it might 
lack that which is absolutely essential to home 
enjoyment. Home is where a mother's smiles 
and tears of tenderness are seen, where is found 
the circle of our nearest and dearest relatives, 
and where each one strives, in every possible 
way, to enhance the happiness of one another. 
Home, then, is a sacred spot; and oh, how 
terrible, when its sanctity and sweetness are 
destroyed! How sad, when the heart-ache is 
brought there, and 

"From love's shining" circle the gems drop avray." 

How heart-rending when the foul hand of 
unchaste, iniquitous literature is laid upon the 



LITERATURE THAT KILLS. 29 

young, and beautiful, and virtuous, to cast 
dark shadows over their future hves, and brand 
them with shame. Weep, fathers! — weep, 
mothers, for the perishing youth of our land ! 
*'For death is come up into our windows, and 
is entered into our palaces, to cut off the 
children from without, and the young men 
from the streets." 

Further : hnjntre literature produces tenvpo- 
rary insanity. Now- a- days bad books and 
papers are made so attractive as to infatuate 
their readers to so high a degree, that they 
actually know nothing of their circumstances, 
or of what is occurring around them. In 
mind, they are pacing the deck of some phan- 
tom ship, or making their escape from robbers, 
through some wild and lonely forest, or wan- 
dering among the ruins of some ancient castle, 
where perhaps the most horrible and bloody 
deeds ever heard of, were perpetrated, — deeds, 
compared to which, Macbeth and Hamlet are 
only shadows ! So stupefied and demented are 
they that they are unable to accomphsh any- 
thing, either for themselves or others. They 
cannot deal with the actual and the tangible ; 



30 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 



— these have no charms for them. There is a 
mental craving, a terrible thirsting for some- 
thing shadowy and unreal! They do not 
value a mother's smiles; their own fireside 
holds ont no inducements that will cause them 
to cling fondly to the old home ; the laughing 
faces of httle brothers and sisters cannot cheer 
them. Oh ! I pity the young man and young 
woman who are so mentally deranged by sen- 
sational hterature, that home, "sweet home," 
has no attractions for them. 

A young man who committed suicide in 
Indiana, ascribed his downfall to the "vilest 
kind of novels," which he was allowed to read 
when eight or nine years old. Ohver G-old- 
smith, the poet and novelist, says : "Above all, 
never let your son touch a novel or romance. 
How delusive, how destructive, are these fea- 
tures of consummate bhss 1 They teach the 
youthful mind to sigh after beauty and hap- 
piness that never existed, to despise the httle 
good that Fortune has mixed in our cup, by 
expecting more than she ever gave." May 
the mighty power of the eternal God hurl 
out of existence the Satanic Press, whose 



LITERATURE THAT KILLS. 31 

productions are stamped with pollution and 
death. 

I remark, finally, that impure literature de- 
bars its readers from entering heaven. Sensa- 
tional and demoralizing books are just so many 
allurements presented by the devil, to lead 
the young down to eternal darkness. "The 
Pathway to Hell!" ought to be the title to 
many books now circulated. Did you ever 
meet with a person who, while under the in- 
fluence of such books, was giving "all diUi- 
gence to make his peace with God, and his 
calling and election sure?" Never! O, it is 
too true that hterature of this nature has shut 
and bolted the door of heaven right in the 
faces of multitudes. They did not attempt 
to make preparation for death and eternity, 
till it was too late. Their time was not God's 
time. The ship which had long been waiting 
in the harbor, to carry them to the haven of 
celestial bhss, sailed off without them. The 
whistle blew, the flags floated from the mast- 
head, the cannons boomed, and still they re- 
mained unconcerned. Then they heard the 
dreadful words: — "Because I have called, and 



32 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

ye refused ; I have stretched out my hand, and 
no man regarded ; but ye have set at naught 
all my counsel, and would none of my reproof; 
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will 
mock when your fear cometh. " 

If there are hefore me readers of unwhole- 
some and vicious hterature, let me, as a lover 
of your souls, persuade you to desist, now and 
forever, your work of self-destruction, before 
the words Too late ! Too late ! proclaim your 
miserable fate. How sad if your end should 
be hke that of Francis Spira, who exclaimed, 
just before death : "My sin is greater than the 
mercy of God. I have denied Christ volunta- 
rily ; I feel that he hardens me, and allows me 
no hope;" or like that of Charles IX, who ex- 
pired, bathed in his own blood, whilst he said : 
"What blood! what murders! I know not 
where I am. How will all this end? What 
shall I do? I am lost forever!" 

Novels are poor material on which to build 
the eternal interests of the soul. In death 
they can afford us no solace nor satisfaction. 
They cannot quell the palpitating heart, nor 
wipe away the death-dew from the brow of 



LITERATURE THAT KILLS. 33 



marble coldness, nor soften the pillow, nor 
hinder the flow of tears, nor give you courage 
to cross Jordan's waters, nor administer to 
you an entrance into mansions of glory. Oh, 
no ! But they throw dismal shadows around 
the death-bed of him, who, during life, cen- 
tered his heart's affections in them, to the 
neoflect of the soul's salvation. 

In conclusion, I ask you to read that htera- 
ture which is ennobling to the mind, purifying 
to morals, and profitable to the soul. Hap- 
pily, we have a press of an exalted character ; 
not one that ejects corruption and death; but 
a press whose productions are entirely free 
from iniquity, and are characterized by sub- 
lime thought which leads the mind upward 
and heavenward. Mothers, fathers, strew 
your homes with this kind of reading. Let 
the parlor table and book-case be adorned with 
it ; and your children, in after years, will bless 
you. Yes, pure literature makes happy homes, 
smihng faces, and inteUigent looks. It brings 
with it a fragrance sweeter than that which is 
wafted to us on the wings of summer zephyrs. 
It radiates the home circle with a heavenly 



34 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

light, kindles within the bosom feehngs of 
ecstasy, and is a means of preserving love and 
harmony, without which there is no real en- 
joyment. 

The men who have accomphshed most for 
the uplifting of humanity and the proper cul- 
ture of the mind, have not been in the habit 
of reading sensational, wishy-washy, silly sto- 
ries. There are wholesome novels within 
reach. How many have been benefitted be- 
yond measure by a draught of the noble sen- 
timents of such men as Scott, Dickens and 
Thackeray. Then, would you be useful, would 
you be mighty, would you be an ornament to 
society, would you leave behind you a name 
around which clusters of pleasant memories 
will fondly cling, w^ould you strike the harp 
with seraphim and cherubim, in the realms 
celestial; then carefully read and thoroughly 
digest the noblest thoughts from the noblest 
minds; and leave, untouched, the sensational, 
the demoralizing, and the insignificant. 



SABBA TH DESE CRA TION. 35 



SABBATH DESECEATION. 

"Kemember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." — Exodus 
XX., 8. 

rriHE commandment, embraced in tlie words 
-*- of our text, is one link of that beautiful 
chain of commandments which Moses received 
from God. It is a commandment, also, that 
is not unfamihar to us ; and yet how very fre- 
quently it is violated ! Every seventh day it 
is broken by hundreds — yea, thousands — yea, 
milhons. Its violators are found in the mag- 
nificent and overflowing city, in the smallest 
village, out on the wild, extensive prairie, in 
the dense and lonely forest, as well as far out 
upon the heaving and trackless ocean. Those 
who dishonor the Sabbath, knowingly and wil- 
fully, are inexcusable, even though they be so 
situated that it is impossible for them to hear 
the monotonous din of city life, or the sweet 
chiming of chapel bells on Sabbath morn, or 



Se IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

tlie thundering tones of the great pipe organ, 
or the eloquent and soul- stirring words of dis- 
tinguished pulpit orators ! God is not to be 
mocked. He did not give us commandments 
to have them broken. Laws authoritatively 
made for the government of our country must 
be faithfully executed. Before our President 
enters on the duties of his office, he is neces- 
sitated to take this oath: "I do solemnly 
swear, that I will faithfully execute the office 
of President of the United States, and will to 
the best of my ability preserve, protect and 
defend the Constitution of the United States. " 
Now, who is the author of the Moral Law, or 
Ten Commandments? Grod, the Infinite and 
Eternal. And who is there so profane as to 
deny that God had a perfect right to make 
such a law? Then, we affirm that this law 
was authoritatively formed ; and how perfect 
and comprehensive this constitution! It ds 
worthy to be preserved, protected and defend- 
ed, because it is of Divine origin; and the 
keeping of it will afford us present and future 
happiness. But how many have lost happi- 
ness that they can never regain, because of 



SABBA TH DESE CRA TION. 37 

having violated the commandments of the 
eternal God. I shall, however, speak of the 
violation of the fourth commandment only : — 
''Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. " 
I remark, first, that tlie Sahhatliis desecrated 
by the perforviance of imlaivfitl ivorTc. Every 
rational thinker cannot but see the wisdom of 
God in appointing one day out of the seven, 
as a day of rest from hard toil. When a man 
labors in the counting-house, or editor's room, 
or out-doors, from Monday morning till Satur- 
day night (hours for sleep excepted), it is high 
time for him to cease working. The brain is 
not made of whalebone, nor the body com- 
posed of iron. After a certain amount of labor 
the mind will become flaggy and useless, and 
the physical constitution will sink under the 
great burden imposed upon it. So we see how^ 
needful it is that the laborer, mental or physi- 
cal, should discontinue his efforts, at regular 
intervals. Now, a perfect plan has been made 
out, by which it will be seen that the laborer 
can have the necessary rest, and that, too, at 
proper times — every seventh day. The ar- 
rangement of this plan is eminently suited to 



38 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



the necessities of the human family. Should 
not the toiler rejoice because the law favors 
him by saying: "Eemember the Sabbath day 
to keep it holy. Six days shaft thou labor, 
and do all thy work ; but the seventh day is 
the Sabbath of the Lord thy Grod. In it thou 
shaft not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor 
thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid- 
servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that 
is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord 
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that 
in them is, and rested the seventh day. 
Wherefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, 
and hallowed it." 

But how many crush this portion of the 
law beneath their feet, defying Grod, and ex- 
posing themselves to His just indignation! 
On the Sabbath day the merchant makes out 
his list for a fresh stock ; the speculator sums 
up the profits and losses of the week; the ar- 
chitect orignates some new design of a struc- 
ture ; the printer knocks off so many thousand 
copies of his paper; raih'oad companies send 
off their engines at full steam ; and owners of 
floating property must see that their boats 



SABBA Til DESE CRA TION. 39 



leave their moorings and dasli out upon the 
wave. And this frightful desecration of the 
Sabbath must be attributed to that passionate 
love which men have for the mighty dollar! 
They say: "Sunday or no Sunday, we must 
not let our chances of making money shp 
away from our grasp ! " No ! here is the way 
to put it. "Let my soul be lost or not, I'm 
determined to make money. My rehgion is 
dollars and cents.'' Mr. Gladstone says: 
"Beheving in the authority of the Lord's day 
as a rehgious institution, I must, as a matter of 
course, desire the recognition of that author- 
ity by others. But, over and above this, I 
have myself, in the course of a laborious life, 
signally experienced both its mental and 
its physical benefits. I can hardly over- 
rate its value in this view, and for the inter- 
est of the workingmen of this country, 
ahke in these and in other yet higher respects, 
there is nothing I more anxiously deske than 
that they should more and more highly appre- 
ciate the Christian day of rest." 

But those who break the Sabbath, fre- 
quently tell us that their position or business 



40 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 



in life is of snch a nature that they cannot, 
without making a great sacrifice, avoid doing 
secular work on the Sahbath. Then, I say, 
however great the sacrifice, let it be made. 
The Queen of England vvdll not allow matters 
of State to encroach upon holy time, not even 
matters presented by the nobility. All honor 
to Her Majesty for her christian observance 
of the Lord's day. It's all nonsense for men 
to say they are compelled to give attention to 
business on Sabbath, or that they would have 
to make an enormous sacrifice in order to 
keep this day holy. Why, they would only 
have to sacrifice wrong principles ; and cer- 
tainly the loss would not be so great after all. 
We can afford to part with a few base princi- 
ples. Then let not God be robbed of his day; 
let not its sanctity be destroyed by the per- 
formance of unlawful work; but let us honor 
God and keep sacred the Sabbath, by throw- 
ing aside, for the time, all those matters which 
can well be attended to on other days. 

Again : I remark that, the Sabhath is dese- 
crated by the encouragevient of indolence. An 
indolent person dishonors the Lord's day. 



SABBA TH DESE CRA TION. 41 



Many individuals regard Sabbath as merely a 
day of cessation from secular toil; and so, 
when Saturday night comes, they abandon 
work only to idly waste the precious hours of 
the following day. Hence, such persons are 
urged to relinquish secular labor, not by a love 
for the Divine Being, but by selfish motives. 
I ask. Was the Sabbath instituted to encour- 
age laziness? No! For what purpose, then, 
was it instituted? For the purpose of meeting 
the exigencies of mankind, and giving glory 
and honor to Him whose day it is. Could you 
receive a present from a friend, without feel- 
ing grateful, and expressing to the donor your 
thanks? Well, the Sabbath is God's " special 
present to the working man"; and shall not 
the receipt of this priceless gift be gratefully 
acknowiedged by the recipient? Shall man 
receive and enjoy the blessings of fifty-two or 
more Sabbaths each year, for a quarter, or half, 
or three-fourths of a century, and not thank 
and 

"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow"? 

Shall man allow the hours of the hallowed 
day to pass away unimproved, while the angel 



42 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



of Death, with sickle in hand, is cutting down 
the robust person, or the promising young 
man, or the fair young woman, or the sweet- 
faced, laughing child who was the delight of 
his father, the companion of his mother, the 
joy of the home circle? 

On the Sabbath day, there should arise to 
the great white throne, the sincere thanks and 
ardent prayers of every human being; places 
of worship, that are almost empty, should be 
crowded, even to the entrance, with earnest 
worshippers ; prayer-meetings and class-meet- 
ings should be the attractions of the now 
careless multitudes ; — Sabbath-schools should 
engage the attention of the mighty masses of 
juveniles and adults who never see the inte- 
rior of a school-room, nor hear the ringing 
melody produced by infant voices. But, alas ! 
what do we behold? We behold Indolence on 
our right hand, on our left, before, and behind 
us. There are sleepers who should be aroused 
from their horrible torpitude, before there falls 
upon their ear the muffled sound of the drum 
which will beat to the " Dead March," an- 
nouncing their departure into another world! 



SABBA TH DESE CRA TION. 43 

Let the indolent take warning ! Your Sab- 
baths must terminate, sooner or later. You 
are not holding the reins of Time, nor retain- 
ing within your nature the principle of hfe ! 
Away into the future you look; but it's all 
uncertainty. The thick veil of your mortality, 
conceals from your vision the solemn and 
mysterious futurity. From the harp of your 
dying nature, there will yet breathe out a 
wild, wild cadence — the closing strain in life's 
song; and then the future will flash upon 
your sight, either like the light of a beautiful 
summer morning, or the deep, frightful gloom 
of midnight ! I pray that it may come flashing 
upon you and around you, with sheenful 
brightness and dazzling splendour, thus en- 
abling you to clearly 

"Behold that land of pure delight, 
Where saints immortal reign." 

In the last place, I remark, that the Bah- 
hatli is desecrated hy the indulgeiice in secular 
amusement. My mental eye sees two path- 
ways — one, the pathway of Sabbath-^eep^r^; 
the other, that of Sabbath- ^r^^a^^er^. The 
former pathway leads to eternal life and 



44 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

sweetest pleasures. All wlio walk in it are 
safe. The latter pathway leads to dismal 
death and extreme pain. Hundreds — thou- 
sands — are rushing along it, some indulging 
in one amusement, and some in another. On- 
ward to death, they are madly hastening, 
while the church bell rings out an earnest in- 
vitation for them to worship God, — while the 
good are assemhhng to hear the glad news of 
salvation for all mankind, — while words of 
warning are being uttered from a thousand 
pulpits! Onward they speed to everlasting 
ruin, allured there by secular amusement, 
with which they endeavor to gratify them- 
selves, at the peril of their souls. " Eejoice, 
young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart 
cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk 
in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of 
thine eyes : but know thou, that for all these 
things, God will bring thee into judgment. " At 
one time there was a fire broke out in a luna- 
tic asylum, and as the deliverers were passing 
from room to room, rescuing the poor crea- 
tures from death, they discovered one pitiable 
maniac sitting, rubbing his hands with delight, 



SABBA TH DESE CRA TION. 45 

looking at the blazing rafters above his head, 
and enjoying the frightful scene. He did not 
realize the danger ; and had he sat but a few 
moments longer, the blazing timbers would 
have fallen upon him with a terrible crash, 
and he would have perished among the burn- 
ing ruins. And so it is with those who in- 
dulge in secular amusement on the Sabbath 
day. They laugh wildly amid their sinful 
pleasures and sports; but just above their 
heads is the fiery indignation of an offended 
God ; and, quick as a flash, the flames of retri- 
bution catch hold of them, their wild laughter 
changes into the most heart-rending shrieks, 
which grow fainter and fainter, till at last a 
death-like stillness reigns, and the lifeless 
forms of the unfortunates are borne along to 
the lone graveyard! 0, weep for the fallen! 
In the winter season the skating-rink is the 
favorite place of resort for hundreds on the 
Sabbath day ; and in the summer season the 
woods are made to echo, and the Sabbath is 
desecrated, by the reports of the sportsman's 
gun. But how many other amusements divert 
the attention of the masses on Sunday ! Let 



46 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 

me warn the young men not to allow the fas- 
cinations of any of these worldly amusements 
to cause you to dishonor the Lord's day, or 
drag your souls into eternal perdition. Take 
a bold and decided stand against everything 
that would mar the sacredness of the Sabbath. 
Be loyal to the King of kings. 

It has often grieved me to see young men 
of honorable and Christian parentage, associ- 
ating with the disreputable throng, and going 
forth to do evil on the Sabbath. These young 
men received from their parents a good moral 
and religious training. They were taught to 
kneel at the family altar, and to offer private 
prayer in their chamber before retiring to rest, 
and after rising. Then, when Sabbath came 
round and the time for pubhc worship arrived, 
they were seated in the family pew, and en- 
gaging in Divine service. And when the time 
would come for conducting the Sabbath- 
school, their places in the Bible-class were not 
vacant. When they took their departure from 
home, and bade farewell to father and mother, 
their parents' blessing rested upon them, and 
their parents' earnest prayers for the safety of 



SABBA TH DESE CRA TION. 47 

their sons, followed them. But after a while, 
the custom they acquired at home, of praying 
night and morning, is entirely abandoned ; the 
habit of attending church is also throw^n 
aside ; and their places in the Bible- class are 
empty. Now, they are on the highway to 
destruction! They are seeking for gratifica- 
tion in secular amusement. Duty is forgotten 1 
Advice is discarded ! Christian principles are 
sacrificed! SeK-respect is quenched! and 
mothers shed bitter tears ; and fathers mourn, 
and the Holy Spirit grieves ! 

I pity the Sabbath-breaker, because he is in 
extreme danger. He stands on unsafe footing, 
and far below him rushes a torrent of death, 
more awful than Niagara, and around him 
rises the cold spray of immediate destruction. 
Still he stands unconcerned. Above the roar 
of the tempestuous waters, he hears cries of 
warning from the shore. Still he is unmoved. 
Deep down plays in wild shapes the tremend- 
ous vortex, louder grows the cataract, till its 
sonorous thimderings suddenl}^ awaken the 
Sabbath-breaker to a realization of the peril- 
ousness of his position. He makes a frantic 



48 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

efit'ort to escape; but it's too late — everlast- 
ingly too late ! He slips — he falls — lie slirieks ! 
Heaven trembles ; Hell rejoices. An immortal 
soul drops into an abyss of darkness and 
horror, where there are no Sabbaths to be 
observed, nor places of worship to attend, nor 
sacred duties to perform ! Worst of all ends ! 
Saddest of deaths! Blackest of calamities! 
" Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it 
holy." 




THE GREAT DEFILER. 49 



THE GEEAT DEFILEE. 

" But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile 
l^iimself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine 
which he drank." — Daniel i., viii. 

TiANIEL was the wisest, the hohest, and the 
^ most patriotic man the world ever knew. 
Like a bright luminary, he was suddenly raised 
up by God to disperse the spiritual, moral, and 
intellectual darkness which hung over human- 
ity. The character and wisdom of this 
Prophet were such as to excite the admiration 
and draw out the sympathies of thousands. 
He was the hero of heroes, and the prophet of 
prophets. He risked his life by expounding to 
Nebuchadnezzar his dream which announced 
the overthrow of the Babylonian Empire ; and 
he also interpreted the handwriting that ap- 
peared on the wall of Belshazzar's palace, 
foretelling the destruction of the magnificent 
city of Babylon. As a great statesman, also, 
Daniel sustained his reputation for more than 
sixty years ; and even his enemies confessed 
that he discharged the important duties of 



50 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

that office with " consummate wisdom, benev- 
olence, and justice." His marvelous deliver- 
ance from the lions affords us ample proof of 
his integrity and devotion to God. But we 
have another proof of his Christian integrity 
in his hold refusal to drink of the king's wine. 
When we consider the circumstances under 
which Daniel was placed at the time of his 
non-acceptance of this beverage, we cannot 
say otherwise than that he was an exemplary 
character. Although wine was a favorite 
drink to Nebuchadnezzar, yet Daniel, who in 
everything acted conscientiously, resolved not 
to use it, knowing it to be injurious. It mat- 
tered but little to him whether his refusal of- 
fended any one, for he had " purposed in his 
heart that he would not defile himself " with 
intoxicating drink. 

In the first place, I remark that strong drinh 
is defiling to tlie viorals. There are but few 
evils, if any, which are productive of more im- 
morality, than the wide-spread evil of intemper- 
ance. Overflowing prison-houses, the long hsts 
of crimes shown by our newspapers — these 
make known to us the sad, sad fact that the 



THE GREA T DEFILER. 51 

■ if ' 

liquor-fiend defiles the morals. How many 
drunkards have testified that before the glass 
touched their lips, they were highly respected 
and esteemed because of their nobleness of 
character. Yes, until rum corrupted their 
morals, they were useful and respectable men. 
Love and honesty were vividly portrayed in 
their countenances, all their actions were con- 
sistent and generous, and even the words they 
spoke betokened moral excellence. But no. 
sooner did they touch and taste the unclean 
thing than the work of corruption commenced,, 
and secretly it continued, till hatred took the 
place of love, till dishonesty took the place of 
uprightness, till vice took the place of virtue. 
Go into the cells of our prisons, and ask the 
question, — "What brought you here?" and 
from nearly every prisoner, you will receive 
this answer : — " Whiskey brought me here ! " 
It has been estimated that intoxicating hquors, 
are an agent in three-fourths of the crimes com- 
mitted in large cities. In the year 1872, there- 
were 83,514 arrests made in New York city ; and 
out of this number nearly 70,000 were trace- 
able to persons more or less addicted to drink. 



■52 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 



Moral excellence is a priceless gem, and all 
persons should strive to attain to it. But 
should not that man be pitied who is so en- 
slaved by liquor, that he does not value this 
goodness of character? Friends, this destroyer 
of morals — this curse of nations — this evil 
of evils, should have our fiercest opposition. 
When virtue is dead, every treacherous and 
devihsh principle comes to hfe. When the 
morals of a nation are corrupted, national dis- 
turbance and crime and irregularity ensue. 
When a city is characterized by depravity and 
pollution, then that city is a Sodom or a 
Gomorrah. 

Again : strong clrinh is a destroyer of the in- 
tellect. It is the intellectual faculties which 
make man what he is — a wonder and a power. 
Man's intellect contrived a plan for the carry- 
ing on of trade between remote countries, 
separated from one another by angry oceans; 
man's intellect made those important scientific 
discoveries without which our world would not 
be what it is to-day ! How vast and beneficial 
have been the results of Morse's invention of the 
■system of telegraphing ! What blessings have 



THE GREAT DEFILER. 53 

been conferred upon us by William Caxton, the 
father of the English press ! What glorious 
achievements have been effected by the steam 
engine, invented b}^ James Watt, whose name 
has been immortalized! Man's intellect is 
mightier than embattled millions ; more valu- 
able than countless worlds of wealth ; deeper 
than ten thousand oceans in one ! 

JBut the mind is rendered inactive by the 
use of hell's burning beverage — intoxicating 
drink. This beverage has stopped, forever,, 
the machinery of the most gigantic minds. 
And that we may be assured of the truthful- 
ness of this assertion, we have but to think of' 
E. Allan Poe, and of hundreds of others whose 
intellects have been wrecked, and whose lights 
have been extinguished, by alcohohc stimu- 
lants. Ah, yes! the contents of the chalice 
have cruelly smitten the poetic genius; and 
the hand that penned immortal verse has re- 
linquished the pen, never more to record 
subhme and happy thought ! The intellect of 
him who creditably occupied the sacred desk, 
has been weakened by the use of intoxicating 
iquors; and the stream of eloquence which 



54 IN DANGER AND UT OF IT. 



poured forth from the speaker's hps, has 
ceased to flow ; the voice that hundreds de- 
lighted to listen to rings out no more within 
the walls of the sanctuary ; the face that once 
'-Sfhone from the pulpit, with expressions of love 
and tenderness, does not now cheer the con- 
^gregation. 

A young minister of great ability, was invited 
to take tea with some of his senior brethren, 
whom I know by reputation, and who are not, 
by any means, unimportant. When they 
were seated at the table, wine was passed 
round by the oldest and most distinguished 
minister present. The young man had been a 
hard drinker previous to his entering the min- 
istry, but was reclaimed ; and for a number of 
.years he had not tasted strong drink of any 
kiiid. When in company, however, with emi-: 
ment clergymen, and not wishing to be thought 
singular in his habits on that evening, he ac- 
cepted and drank of the wine which was 
handed round. After the friends separated to 
go to their homes, this young minister had 
occasion to pass along a street which was 
lighted up with the sparkling brightness of 



THE GREAT DEFILER. 55 

gay saloons ; and just as lie was opposite the 
open door of a saloon, and the stench of the bar- 
room met him, the old appetite returned. He 
had not sufficient strength of purpose to re- 
sist the temptation, and entering the saloon, 
he called for a glass of brandy, paid for it, 
drank it, and then walked out. He had not 
gone far before he had a still stronger desire 
for hquor. A second time he called for bran- 
dy; and shortly after drinking it, his brain be- 
came fired; and at the solemn hour of mid- 
night, when only the light of the street lamps 
could be seen, that young man of bright 
talents, who but a few hours before ranked high, 
fell into the gutter in a state of unconsciousness. 
When the grey light of morning hovered 
around, he was seen and recognized by a 
friend, who immediately secured medical aid, 
and carefully watched over him till he got bet- 
ter. But soon he fell again, never to rise! 
Borrowing a large sum of money from some 
members of his congregation, he proceeded 
from- Canada, where he had been preaching, 
and entered New York City, where he was 
seized with delirium tremens, from which he 



56 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

never recovered. Not long before his death, 
he wrote, with unsteady hand, a letter to one 
of the ministers with whom he took tea on 
the evening of his downfall, and the last 
words in his letter were these: — "I'm lost, 
eternally lost ! The wine that was handed 
round when we took tea together, has been 
my everlasting ruin ! Farewell ! farewell I " 

But, in order to convince you more fully 
that the use of alcoholic liquors, as a bever- 
age, is injurious mentally, I wish to state that 
I have in my possession the most reliable 
liquor statistics, showing that within the 
United States alone, in the year 1872, intem- 
perance manufactured no less than 30,000 
maniacs and idiots ! What a fearful wreckage 
of the intellect ! Husbands torn from their 
homes, and conveyed into the lunatic asylum, 
where they must eke out a miserable existence. 
Mothers separated from their children, to be 
shut in by a huge stone wall for long years. 
Eeason dethroned! Happiness gone! Life 
a sad vacuity ! "Look not thou upon the wine 
when it is red, when it giveth its color in the 
cup, when it moveth itstelf aright. At the 



THE GREAT DEFILER. 57 

last it biteth like a serpent and stingetli like 
an adder." 

Further: strong drink is injurious to the 
body. Notwithstanding the oft-quoted ex- 
pression, "Doctors differ," happily the most 
eminent physicians agree in their opinions 
concerning the use of alcohohc stimulants as 
a beverage or a medicine. They maintain and 
clearly prove "that all alcoholic hquors, in 
whatever form or amount, when taken by per- 
sons in health, are injurious and dangerous 
physically, mentally, and morally; and that 
in disease, cases are very much fewer than 
was formerly taught by medical teachers and 
writers, or than is generally supposed, where 
such liquors are useful as a medicine, even for 
temporary effects, and that in no case can 
their long continued or habitual use fail to do 
harm. " 

In 1873, the New York National Temper- 
ance Society circulated the following declara- 
tion, which was signed by about two hundred 
leading physicians, surgeons, etc., of New 
York and Brooklyn : 

1. "In view of the alarming prevalence and 



58 IN DANGER AND UT OF IT. 

ill effects of intemperance, with which none 
are so familiar as members of the medical pro- 
fession, and which have called forth from em- 
inent Enghsh physicians the voice of warn- 
ing to the people of Great Britain, concerning 
the use of alcoholic beverages, we, the under- 
signed, members of the medical profession of 
New York and vicinity, unite in the declara- 
tion that we believe alcohol should be classed 
with other powerful drugs; that when pre- 
scribed medicinally, it should be with con- 
scientious caution and a sense of grave re- 
sponsibility. 

2. We are of the opinion that the use of 
alcoholic liquors, as a beverage, is productive 
of a large amount of physical disease ; that it 
entails diseased appetites upon offspring; and 
that it is the cause of a large percentage of the 
crime and pauperism of our cities and 
country. 

3. We would welcome any judicious and ef- 
fective legislation — State and national — which 
would seek to confine the traffic in alcohol to 
the legitimate purposes of medical and other 
sciences, art and mechanism." 



THE GREA T DEFILER. 59 

Now, we have, in this declaration, the most 
potent arguments against the use of alcohoHc 
stimulants as a beverage. But are not the 
reeling, form, and bloodshot eyes, and bloated 
face, and tattered apparel of the drunkard, 
also weighty arguments against using it to 
gratify the appetite? I tell you, the effects 
of habitual liquor-drinking are easily seen. 
They cannot be concealed. Nervous prostra- 
tion, a decrease of the powers of the muscular 
system; these are the effects of the frequent 
and constant use of intoxicating drinks upon 
the physical constitution ; and it is a sad fact 
that hundreds of drunkards are faUing into 
drunkards' graves, hurried there by bodily dis- 
eases which were implanted in them by using 
fermented liquors. 

Finally, I remark, that strong drink brings 
disaster iqjon the immortal soul. The loss of 
the soul is the greatest and most severe of all 
losses. We may lose the nearest relatives 
and every bosom friend; we may be entirely 
deserted by those who once smiled upon us ; 
we may be stripped of every earthly comfort, 
and sent adrift, sad and alone, upon the stormy 



60 IN DANGER AND UT OF IT. 



billows of this life, frowned on and passed by 
uncbaritable strangers, while our frail bark 
drifts hither and thither by every cruel blast, 
and the wild night increases our fears, a^nd the 
absence of friendly lights drives us to de- 
spair: these losses we may experience, but 
how trivial they are when compared to the 
loss of the immortal soul! The soul, once 
lost, can never be regained. Even should an 
eternity be spent in bitter crying for its resto- 
ration, still it would remain lost. Angels 
could not restore it. Forever it must stay 
in deepest gloom, far from the festal illumina- 
tion of the celestial city. 

Now, every hour, intemperance is sending 
souls to eternal woe! How many unfortu- 
nates pass off the stage of action, while in a 
drunken stupor or in delirium tremens ! How 
many drunkards are killed by accidents, while 
in a state of intoxication! and the Bible says 
no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of 
G-od. It is often the case, that the first glass 
of hquor, taken as a beverage, is the devil's 
first installment, as security for the immortal 
soul. The more frequent the payments, the 



THE GREAT DEFILER. 61 

sooner will he have the soul forever in his 
clutches. 0, why will people sell their souls 
to Satan for strong drink? Why will they 
madly hasten down that broad, inclined plane 
of intemperance, until they at last fall into the 
awful whirlpool of death? A man who had a 
valuable diamond was foohshly playing with it 
by throwing it over the side of the ship, and 
catching it, as he leaned over the bulwarks. 
A friend tried to persuade him to cease play- 
ing in such a manner with the precious dia- 
mond; but he said, "Oh, never fear, I've done 
it so often. " Finally, he missed his aim, and 
the treasure dropped into the water and was 
lost beyond recall. Similarly are precious 
souls lost beyond recall by the folly of drink- 
ing alcohohc stimulants. 

Would to Grod, that the fathers and moth- 
ers, and young men and young women, who 
are to-day selhng their souls for this beverage 
of hell — ^would to God that these poor suffer- 
ers would snap in pieces the clanking chains 
of intemperance, and come out into the enjoy- 
ment of hberty, and, hke a brave Daniel, pur- 
pose in their hearts, never to defile themselves 



62 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

with the poisonous hquid. Then what a pleas- 
ing change would take place. Homes that 
have long heen the dens of want, wretched- 
ness and infamy, would become cheery and 
respectable ; new, clean clothing would super- 
sede rags; dissipated looks would vanish; 
manly independence, and self-respect, and 
good name, would return; drunkards' graves 
would be avoided, and souls would escape 
eternal death. And then what joy there 
would be among the angels in heaven. Ser- 
aphic strains, swelling forth in sweetest har- 
mony, would make the celestial arches ring, 
while angel fingers would bring from golden 
harps music unsurpassed by any invented by 
the skill of human genius. 

May the day speedily dawn upon this rum- 
cursed earth, when the glorious rays of Total 
Prohibition shall fall benignly upon us, to 
scatter the darkness which hangs over mill- 
ions of the human family, and to raise the 
fallen to sobriety, virtue, and heaven! God 
speed the day ! 



SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION. 63 



SPIEITUAL DESTITUTION. 

"One thing thou lackest." — Markx., 21. 

pEOEGE WHITFIELD, who has been 
^ styled the "Prince of Pulpit Orators," 
stopped for several days at the house of a 
General. The General and lady, also their 
four children, were serious hut not rehgious. 
They were moralists. Whitfield, while stay- 
ing with them, departed from his usual custom, 
which was to address the residents of the 
house where he stayed, concerning the wel- 
fare of their souls. The last evening came, 
and the last night he was to spend there. He 
retired to rest ; but the Spirit of God came to 
him in the night, saying: " man of God! if 
these people perish, their blood be on thy 
head." He hstened; but the flesh said: "Do 
not speak to these people; they are so good 
and so kind, you could not say a harsh thing 
to them." He arose and prayed. The per- 



64 . IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

spiration rolled down his brow; and he was 
fearful and anxious. Finally, a happy thought 
rushed into his mind. He took his diamond 
ring from his finger, went up to the window, 
and wrote these words upon the glass : " One 
thing thou lackest." He had not courage to 
say a word to the inmates about rehgion. 
Immediately after Whitfield's departure from 
the house, the General, who had a great ven- 
eration for him, went into the room he had 
occupied, and the first thing that attracted 
his attention was the sentence upon the win- 
dow pane, "One thing thou lackest"; and, 
that being his case, these words led to his 
conversion. This General was a moral man; 
but mere morality will not bring salvation to 
the soul. Doubtless, he possessed many excel- 
lent traits of character; still, there was one 
thing he did not possess, and that was the 
assurance that he was a child of God; that 
Jesus Christ loved him, and gave himself for 
him; that all his sins were blotted out, and 
that he w^as reconciled to God. 

The words of my text were spoken by the 
Saviour, in addressing a rich young man, who 



SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION. 65 

went to him to find out what he should do, in 
order to be saved from sin, and inherit eternal 
hfe. And Christ referred him hack to the Ten 
Commandments ; but the young man said : "All 
these have I observed from my youth. " Then 
Jesus replied by saying : " One thing thou 
lackest; go thy way; sell whatsoever thou 
hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have 
treasure in heaven; and come, take up thy 
cross and follow me," This was a hard re- 
quirement, and the rich youth revolted at the 
idea of yielding to it, for he was very wealthy. 
When he was put to the test, it was found 
that he loved the world more than he loved 
God. Anything else he would rather do than 
part with his vast possessions. He was greatly 
disappointed, because he was told to dispose 
of all he had, before he could be perfect. In- 
deed, he, like a great many others, had the 
impression that he could gain heaven by noble 
works, which is an utter impossibility. He 
occupied a high and honorable position, being 
ruler of the synagogue ; that, however, would 
not insure his salvation. But, from the fact 
of his being a ruler, it would be reasonable to 



66 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 

infer that he was a yonng man of no hmited 
education; but all his learning could not 
afford him a clear " title to mansions in the 
skies." That of the greatest importance was 
missing! Hence, our Saviour said to him: 
" One thing thou lackest." 

I remark, in the first place, that education 
ivill not supply spiritual lacJc. You might be 
so familiar with the science of astronomy, as 
to be able to speak accurately of the appear- 
ance, size, shape, arrangement, distance, mo- 
tions, physical constitution, etc., of the heaven- 
ly bodies. You might be so well versed in the 
science of music, as to possess Beethoven's 
rare faculties for musical composition; or to 
be qualified to produce an oratorio equal to 
Handel's " Israel"; or to have Yon Bulow's 
extraordinary skill as a pianist. Your knowl- 
edge of natural philosophy might be so exten- 
sive, as to win for you the fame equal to that 
which was won by such men as Sir Isaac 
Newton, and Sir John Ilerschel. Your lan- 
guage might approach Shakspearian perfec- 
tion. In short, you might be in possession of 
all the information the human mind is capable 



SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION. 67 

of taki-ng in and retaining, and still be in want 
of the one thing needful— salvation. The phi- 
losopher and astronomer, the poet and prose- 
writer, the jndge and statesman — to each of 
these it may be said: '' One thing thou lack- 
est." Education bears no relation whatever 
to the New Birth — to Eegeneration — to that 
inward change which is commonly called con- 
version. And the man who imagines that his 
education will take him to heaven, is in error. 
Byron was educated; but from the account 
given of his death, it cannot be beheved that 
he was prepared for the exit into another 
world. 

Men have spent a whole life-time at their 
books, and in the end have died without a 
hope of heaven. They lacked one thing. 
When on earth, they ranked high and were 
honored, because of their inteUigence; but 
among the holy angels, near God's throne, 
they could take no position. When on earth, 
the productions of their pen, or the words 
which fell from their hps, kindled happy feel- 
ings within many bosoms; but in the New 
Jerusalem their voices are not heard. Ah, 



68 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

no ! Edncation will not supply spiritual lack. 
Paul says : " Though I speak with the tongues 
of men and of angels, and have not charity, I 
am hecome as sounding brass, or a tinkhng 
cymbal. And though I have the gift of 
prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and 
all knowledge ; and though I have all faith, so 
that I could remove mountains, and have not 
charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow 
all my goods to feed the poor, and though I 
give my body to be burned, and have not 
charity, it profiteth me nothing." 

I remark, further, that social position loill 
not supply spiritual lacTi. How many build 
all their hopes on mere social position. They 
•seek nothing beyond. Their highest aspira- 
tion is that they may become distinguished 
for their affluence and ostentatious display. 
Their hearts are set upon frescoed walls, 
colossal residences, magnificent arches bear- 
ing the finest figures that could be formed by 
artificer's genius; gorgeous show of silver 
plate, and costly pictures, and exquisite furni- 
ture, and glittering hangings. Oh, there is 
spiritual destitution in the grand residence. 



SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION, 69^ 

as well as in the log cabin! Within tapes- 
tried walls, as well as within the walls of the 
rudest abode, there are perishing souls ! Eter- 
nal death seizes those who are in the most 
elegant attire, as well as those who are in 
rags and filth. High social standing does not 
avail in respect to the soul. The vast wealth 
and splendid equipage of a Solomon, the fame 
of a Nebuchadnezzar — these fail to a:fford us 
the necessary provision for the great future. 
These fail to give us that peace which " pass- 
eth understanding"; these cannot throw open 
the pearly gates, nor permit us to view, with 
glad eyes, the city of God, with its jasper 
walls, and streets of gold, and its crystal 
waters, and its foundations of precious stones, 
and its festal hghts, and its tree which bears, 
twelve manner of fruits. High social position 
will not win for us the acclamation, " Well 
done, good and faithful servants; enter into 
the joy of your Lord." We cannot ride to 
heaven in a two-thousand-dollar carriage, nor 
purchase a crown of glory with miUions of 
money, nor associate with angels because we 
mingled, when on earth, with persons of dis- 



70 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

tinction! On the Judgment Bay, when the 
books are opened, and the hving and the dead 
shall assemble to be judged, there will be 
hundreds in that vast concourse, who had ac- 
cumulated earthly, but not heavenly, trea- 
sures ; and when they step tremblingly up to 
the bar, to be tried, methinks the Judge will 
say to each of them, what he said to the rich 
young man: "One thing thou lackest." But, 
at that late hour, it will be useless to attempt 
to supply that lack. All opportunities will 
have flown ! The Holy Spirit will have ceased 
to strive! This earth will have undergone 
the most dreadful convulsions ! It will be too 
late — everlastingly too late! The doom of 
the wicked will then have been sealed ! Only 
the faithful followers of Jesus will be able to 
withstand the wreckage of matter and the 
crush of worlds. Afiiuence affords no real 
happiness to its possessor. It allures, but 
never satisfies; leads to distinction on earth, 
but to none in heaven; procures temporal, 
but not spiritual, luxuries. 

There is a termination to a life of feasting 
and lordly exhibition. Where are the men, 



SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION. 71 

who, centuries ago, opened wide the doors of 
their mansions, for the reception of the nobil- 
ity? Their bones have intermingled with the 
dust, and the spacious banqueting-house, 
which once echoed with the sounds of mid- 
night revelry, has lost its original grandeur 
and stateliness, and fallen to decay. A sol- 
emn silence lingers around that ruin, where 
once sweet music burst forth in awakening 
strains, to please the gay assembly. Once, 
a grand illumination; now, thick darkness. 
Once, a scene of merriment ; now, one which 
excites melancholy. The pride and glory of 
the past now sleep, to wake no more. The 
animating song turned into a dirge ; the ruddy 
cheek became pale, and the flashing eye 
closed in death. This is the end of " high 
life;" but the soul's existence will never close. 
The hand of Time has not power to crush out 
the life of the immortal soul. It hves on. 
Then why build on social position. It is a 
most unsafe foundation. Many have unfor- 
tunately built upon it ; and the unsound fabric 
has tumbled, and they have been buried among 
the ruins ! Away with the impression, if you 



72 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 

have it, that your future happiness depends 
on mere social position. Such an impression 
is only a delusion. The devil may say to you : 
" There is no danger; you have everything 
that is necessary to bring you to heaven." 
But God, who will be your Judge, says to you : 
" One thing thou lackest." May these words 
continue to ring in your ears, until you shall 
have found peace through beheving in the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

Again, I remark, that mfiere moral living 
will not swpiplij spiritual lack. Morahsts have 
been compared to the carpenters who assisted 
Noah in the building of the ark, yet, after all, 
were drowned themselves. Bear in mind: I 
do not depreciate moral living; but morality 
alone will not take a man to heaven. Rehgion 
and morality must go together. As the an- 
chor preserves the vessel from being wrecked 
upon the rocky coast during a storm, so reli- 
gion saves you from that ruin which could not 
be escaped by mere morality. Drop rehgion, 
and you drop that which is absolutely essen- 
tial to your eternal safety. You leave your- 
self without an anchor while saihng over 



SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION. 73 

life's stormy billows; and the ship rolls and 
plunges, the sails are torn by the fierce gale, 
angry clonds gather, day is gone, and the 
night of death approaches. Then you realize 
the danger of your situation. The anchor, 
religion, is wanting. " One thing thou lackest. " 
"But," says some one, "I cannot recollect 
when I did anything contrary to the moral 
law. I have kept the Sabbath; have attended 
church as long as I can remember; have con- 
tributed wilhngly to every good cause ; have 
afforded rehef to suffering humanity," etc. 
That is all very well, so far as it goes, but have 
you experienced the New Birth? Have you 
been regenerated? The reason I ask you this, 
is because thus saith the Lord, "Except a man 
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of 
God. " The Bible is so explicit in reference to 
this matter, that it is impossible to draw any 
other than one meaning. And if you have, in 
the past, been trying to get salvation by good 
works, I tell you that Grod and the Bible are 
against you, and therefore you are in error. 
Grasp the doctrine of salvation by faith in the 
Son of God. Trust in the merits of the atone- 



74 IN DANGER AND UT OF IT. 

ment, not in the merits of your actions. Cling 
to the cross. 

" Be warned of your danger; escape to the cross; 
Your only salvation is there; 
Believe, and that moment the spirit of grace 
Will answer your penitent prayer. " 

Standing, as I am, between the hving and the 
dead, and in the presence of God, who will be 
my Judge, I dare not refuse to warn you of 
your danger. You and I will have to render 
an account of our stewardship; preacher, as 
well as hearer, must be judged; and oh, how 
sad, if on that judgment day the minister of 
the gospel should be accused of unfaithfulness 
in his sacred calling! Then I am bound to 
caution the ungodly person, and say to him, 
"One thing thou lackest." If there are those 
who have been trying to reach heaven by any 
any other pathway than that of Faith, then it 
is my duty to tell them of their great mistake, 
and endeavor to lead them into the right way. 
I shall not always be your pastor ; and oh, 
w^hat joy and satisfaction it would give me to 
see this entire congregation stepping forward 
to take a seat among the blood- washed at the 



SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION. 75 

right hand of the Judge Supreme, after hav- 
ing received the plaudit," Well done!" in pres- 
ence of the congregated millions ! That would 
be a beautiful spectacle. The most skillful 
painter could not produce a scene to equal it 
in grandeur. The orator's most glowing im- 
agery would be utterly inadequate to convey 
to the mind even the faintest idea of that im- 
posing sight. But, alas! if I should see you 
turned away from that august gathering, with 
this command, "Depart, ye cursed, into ever- 
lasting fire, prepared for the devil and his 
angels;" if I should behold despair on your 
countenances, instead of joy, the sight, me- 
thinks, would be more than I could endure. 
God forbid that I should be compelled to view 
a scene so sad, so heart-rending, so wofull 
When the thunderings of the eternal God shall 
be heard in the clouds; when the angels' 
trumpet shall be sounded to raise the dead; 
when the Son of man shall appear, followed 
by a host of angelic escorts ; when the great 
white throne shall be seen, and the mighty 
Judge shall take his seat thereon, and the 
books shall be opened, — when these important 



76 IN DANGER AND UT OF IT. 

circumstances occur, I pray that your loins 
may be girt about "with, truth, that you may 
have on the breastplate of righteousness, and 
that your feet may be shod with the prepara- 
tion of the gospel of peace 1 Begin now — this 
moment, to prepare for death, the judgment, 
and eternity; for remember, that ''one thing 
thou lachest.'' 




THE BR O OKL YN CA TASTR OPHE. 11 



THE BKOOKLYN CATASTEOPHE. 

" In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with 
destruction. — Isaiah xxiv.,.12. 

rjIHE burning of the Brooklyn Theater, on the 
-■- night of December 5th, has caused me to 
make a selection of these words for my text. 
Never, in the history of this country, has there 
occurred a more horrible catastrophe. The 
fire broke out during the last act of " The Two 
Orphans," and on the following morning the 
clearing parties who were at work in the debris 
uncovered a mass of over three hundred human 
victims. How crushing, and heart rending, 
and appaUing, must the spectacle have been! 
The victims, it is said, were " woven together 
" into a fearful knot, twisted up into every at- 
" titude of suffering, with broken hmbs, and 
" mangled flesh, and charred features, and dis- 



78 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

" membered bodies." The city of Brooklyn is 
in deep mourning. The youth, as well as those 
advanced in years, have been overwhelmed by 
the hundred, and sent into eternity in an in- 
stant. Sons and daughters who left their homes 
on Tuesday evening, will never return to shed 
gladness around the fireside. There were lov- 
ing parents who, on that evening, imprinted 
the last kiss, and looked for the last time on 
the bright faces of httle ones who were left at 
home in charge of the servants. Many an 
armchair was vacated, only to be occupied by 
strangers. Many a piano was closed, only to 
be kept silent throughout weeks of weeping 
and anguish. Many a sweet voice was, on 
that evening, hushed, nevermore to be heard 
on earth ; and a loud wail is sent up from hun- 
dreds of ill-fated homes. The dirge swells in 
nearly all parts of the land, and sends a thrill 
of terror through countless multitudes. " In 
the city is left desolation, and the gate is smit- 
ten with destruction." 

I remark in the first place, that we have, in 
this catastrophe, a forcible illustration of the 
uncertainty of life. The many victims of the 



THE BR O OKL YN CA TASTR OPHE. 79 



fire left their respective homes, without even 
thinking of danger. They were in joyous 
eagerness to take their places in the theater, 
where they could gaze on the scenes to he 
presented, and hear what was to he said by the 
players. They surged along the streets of 
the city to the house of entertainment, un- 
conscious of the destruction and death which 
were so soon to come upon them. They reached 
the entrance to the house of dazzling splendor, 
and some took their seats in the dress circle, 
and some in the gallery, and some in the par- 
quet. They witnessed the scenes of the first 
act, and the scenes of the second act, and the 
scenes of the third act, and the scenes of the 
fourth act of the drama, " The Two Orphans." 
They also beheld the presentation of the last 
scene of the last act ; and when they were giv- 
ing breathless attention to Miss Kate Claxton, 
leading lady in the play, suddenly the cry of 
" Fire ! " was heard, which sent a panic through 
the audience. Mr. Studley, one of the actors, 
stepped forward at this time, and said to the 
assembly, " The play will go on, and the fire 
will be put out. Be quiet ! Get back into 



80 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

your seats ! " But few of the alarmed gather- 
ing heeded. They had aheady begun a stam- 
pede, and the main entrance became choked 
up, and women, and men, and boys, were 
trampled to death. By this time the entire 
stage was in flames ; the scenery had shrivelled 
into tinder; the beams were falhng on every 
side; the tongues of fire darted among, and 
over the heads of the audience ; the cries of 
the frantic multitude were terrifying ; and the 
scene was indescribable in horror, men and 
women in the agonies of a frightful death, the 
tempest of flame overwhelming human beings 
by the hundred. 

How unexpected was this catastrophe ! In 
about five minutes after the presentation of 
the last scene in the last act, the drama would 
have closed, and the curtain would have drop- 
ped, and the foothghts would have been ex- 
tinguished, and the entire audience would have 
left the building peacefully, had it not been 
for the breaking out of the fire. But alas! a 
scene, terrible in its reahty, and awfully grand 
in its appearance, flashed before the enchanted 
auditory, and the preceding picture was for- 



THE BR O OKL YN CA TA S TR OPHE. 8 1 



gotten, and over three hundred people were 
hurried into another world, and summoned to 
the bar of the eternal God. How many out 
of all that number were prepared for the transi- 
tion, we are unable to say. There was not one 
person out of the number burned to death who 
did not expect to get out of the theater in 
safety, upon entering it. But oh! how un- 
certain is hfe ! Death very often comes when 
it is least expected. It swooped down upon 
the worshippers in the " Laigh Kirk," of Kil- 
marnock, when the " great MacKinlay " was 
preaching. In 1863 it seized over two thou- 
sand persons on the occasion of the burning 
of the Jesuits' Church at Santiago. And in 
1876 this same monster entered the Brooklyn 
Theater, wherein hundreds of spectators were 
convened, and slew young and old, the beauti- 
ful and promising, the refined and the unlet- 
tered. Death's spoils are found in every spot 
on earth. We find them in the decorated ca- 
thedral, in the imposing mansion, in the small- 
est hovel, on the battle-field and railroads, and 
they even lie in the bottom of the mighty 
ocean. 



82 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

" O Death ! Thou great invisible, 

Pale monarch of the unending past. 
Who shall thy countless trophies tell, 

Or when shall be the last ? 
By thee high thrones to earth are flung — 

By thee the sword and sceptre rust — 
By thee the beautiful 8.nd young 

Lie mouldering in the dust. " 

We are alive to-day; but we may be dead 
to-morrow. We are now acting our several 
parts in the wonderful drama of this life ; but 
we know not bow soon we sball present the 
last scene of tbe last act, nor wbentbe curtain 
will drop, and tbe ligbts will go out, and we 
sball retire forever from tbe sublunary stage 
of action. We are now totally ignorant of tbe 
mysteries of tbat existence beyond tbe tomb ; 
but we know not bow soon sucb mysteries, 
togetber witb tbeir stern realities, will be re- 
vealed to us. How very numerous are tbe 
instances we bave of tbe uncertainty of Hfe ! 
Tbe proud sbip, wbose deck and cabin are 
tbronged witb buman beings, leaves tbe port 
for a distant land. Tbose on board possess 
buoyant bopes, and ligbt bearts, as tbey look 
forward to tbe time wben tbe vessel sball sail, 
like a tbing of life, into tbe barbor beyond, 



THE BR OKL YN CA T ASTRO PHE. 83 

and when there shall be the happy greeting of 
cherished ones ; but alas ! the treacherous sea 
causes the wreck of that ship, and passengers 
and crew find a watery grave ere the desired 
land is reached. The crowded train moves 
from the railroad station, dashes forward at 
frightful speed, and collides with another, or 
runs off the track, and, quick as a flash, hun- 
dreds of precious souls are sent into another 
world. In the midst of hfe we are in death. 
The voices of exhilarant ones are hushed ; the 
beauty of youth and the glory of manhood 
disappear; joyous scenes change to scenes of 
mourning ; and the sheenful hght of pleasure^ 
in which many have reposed, grows faint, till 
finally they are enveloped in impenetrable 
gloom ! 

Again : from this catastrophe we learn that 
it is unquestionably necessary that tue he pre- 
pared to meet death. I cannot concur in the 
too prevalent opinion, that all persons, no 
matter what their moral or spiritual condition 
has been up to the moment of their death, 
will obtain eternal hfe and reahze eternal hap- 
piness. I am far, far from beheving that a 



84 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

God of perfect eqnity and wisdom would, 
through his sacred Word, utter to mankind so 
many expHcit and emphatic warnings concern- 
ing future punishment, and yet never intend 
to punish the guilty. I am unable to reconcile 
the views of Universalists with the words of 
the Most High. However, I do not despair 
because of faihng in this particular, for I am 
fully satisfied that God is right and cannot 
err, and that some men are wrong, and all men 
liable to err. Then, since our happiness in 
the other world depends on our faithful atten- 
tion to duty in this, it is of the greatest 
importance that we give all dihgence in mak- 
ing sure our salvation. Death may come upon 
us without a moment's notice, as it came upon 
the pleasure-seekers at the Brooklyn Theater; 
and as death leaves us, so the judgment will 
find us. If we take flight into eternity with 
our sins unf orgiven, we shall certainly be found 
at the bar of God in the same lamentable con- 
dition. If we wander through death's valley 
without having the glorious hope of spending 
eternity in heaven, we shall assuredly stand 
with the congregated millions, at the last great 



THE BR O OKL YN CA TA S TR OPHE. 85. 

day, without this same hope. 0, how full of 
solemnity is this truth ! How it should win 
the attention of the careless, and awake the 
sleeper to immediate action, and cause tha 
skeptic to rehnquish forever his erroneous,, 
dangerous, and unscriptural ideas ! 

There is an hour coming to us all when only 
the christian's hope and the presence of the 
Saviour will give peace and joy. Everything 
else will fail to comfort. The false doctrines, 
with which men have tried to console them- 
selves, will, on that hour, appear before their 
minds, only to appal by their utter untruth- 
fulness and insufficiency. Arise, therefore, ye 
dying men and women, embrace the Truth as 
it is in Jesus, take the enduring Word of God 
as your guide, and discard the hurtful whims, 
and irrational sentiments of ungodly men. 
You have no time to give them consideration. 
Your opportunities are passing away. Your 
days are diminishing in number. Soon your 
probation will have expired ; and for the sake 
of your immortal souls, I implore you, in the 
Eedeemer's Name, to prepare now to meet 
your God! The church warns you. Every- 



86 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

day occurrences warn you. 0, amid all the 
disasters wMcli send a sensation of horror 
through us, strive to avert that wildest and 
most awful disaster — the disaster of a ruined 
soul ! 

Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared 
people. The unfaithful will not hear the 
Saviour say to them, " Come, ye hlessed of 
my Father, and inherit the kingdom prepared 
for you from the foundation of the world." 
And if heaven he the resting-place of departed 
saints ; and, further, if only the good are per- 
mitted to enter there, is it not important that 
we be in readiness to reign therein, and to 
participate in the pleasures which are at God's 
right hand? Why hve from month to month, 
and from year to year in a state of non-prep- 
aration ? Why live in painful anxiety regarding 
your future? Salvation and peace are offered 
you. The title to heavenly possessions is held 
before you for your acceptance. I am perfectly 
safe in saying that there is not one in this house 
who does not desire to win heaven. All of you 
wish and hope to realize its joys hereafter. 
Many of you have relatives there; and you 



THE BR O OKL YN CA TA S TR OPHE. 87 

hope to see , and dwell with them . The thought 
of not reahzing these expectations would 
make you shudder. And yet how strange it 
is that people will deliberately run the risk of 
losing heaven, by procrastination! William 
III., in order to quell a rebelhon in the 
north of Scotland, issued a proclamation to 
all the rebel chiefs to appear at a given place 
on or before the 31st of December, 1691, and 
take the oath of allegiance to the king. Those 
who did not appear were to be treated as out- 
laws, and were hable to be put to death as trai- 
tors to the crown. One by one yielded, and all 
had affixed their names to the paper, except 
one. Maclan was the leader of the smallest 
yet haughtiest tribe. He did not intend to 
finally resist, but he hoped to be the last of 
the Scottish chiefs to submit. A day or two 
before the 31st, he started for the place where 
the oath was to be taken; but a severe snow- 
storm impeded his progress, and he did not 
arrive until nearly a week after the king's mes- 
senger had returned to London. A band of 
soldiers immediately entered the valley of 
Glencoe, and Maclan and his followers became 



8.8 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

victims to Ms proud obstinacy. How many 
persons hazard their immortal souls, as Maclan 
hazarded his life, by refusing to obey the com- 
mands of the King Eternal ! Yea, how many 
have lost heaven by simply delaying till it was 
forever too late ! 

My hearers, it is incomparably better to put 
forth an immediate effort to rescue the soul. 
Satan whispers in the ear of the unsaved one, 
and says, "Time enough yet," but Jesus says, 
"Now is the accepted time, and now is the day 
of salvation." When a pleasure-loving daugh- 
ter was preparing for a ball, her christian 
mother implored her to give her heart to the 
Saviour. The daughter rephed, "Time enough 
yet for me to attend to rehgion." Two weeks 
after, she was suddenly stricken down, and 
died in a few hours. Her last words were, 
"Oh that all young people were present, that 
I might warn them not to do as I have done ! 
I am going to receive my everlasting fate ! I 
am going to dwell with devils ! " May not one 
of this gathering be so mad, so careless, as 
to continue refusing salvation till it is too 
late! — this is my earnest prayer. 0, I fancy 



THE BROOKLYN CATASTROPHE. 89 

I never understood so clearly, as I do now, the 
force of these two words, Time and Eternity ! 
How mucli they imply ! God help all of us to 
use time hy preparing for the better world, so 
that an eternity of joy shall be ours — an eter- 
nity, bright with the Saviour's presence and 
smiles; — an eternity, happy because of pure 
and genial associations; — an eternity, joyous 
because of never-ceasing music and songs of 
sacred adoration! Amen and amen. 




90 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 



A SLEEPLESS NIGHT. 

" Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night 
fasting : neither were instruments of music brought before 
him; and his sleep went from him." — Dan. vi., 18. 

"PiAEIUS, the Median, succeeded Belshazzar 
^ in the goYernment of the kingdom of 
Babylon. He was sixty- two years old when 
he ascended the throne; and, although only 
one year of his reign is mentioned, there are, 
connected with that administration, some very 
important events. Darius set a hundred and 
twenty princes over the kingdom; and over 
these princes he set three presidents, of whom 
Daniel was first, or chief. The king placed 
the utmost confidence in Daniel, and intended 
to elevate him to the honorable position of 
grand vizier, or prime minister. This partial- 
ity of Darius towards Daniel created a feehng 
of envy among the presidents and princes ; and 
they formed a scheme to destroy Daniel. They 



A SLEEPLESS NIGHT. 91 

first tried to pick a flaw in his administration, 
but failed. Then they said : "We shall not find 
any occasion against this Daniel, except we 
find it against him concerning the law of his 
God. " So they assembled in the royal court, 
to present a statute and get it established. 
The statute was, that whoever would ask a 
petition of any God or man within thirty days, 
except of the king, would be cast into the den 
of hons. Darius gave his sanction to this, 
and attached his signature to the writing and 
the decree. Now, Daniel was a faithful ser- 
vant of God; and it was his custom to go to 
his chamber three times a day, and kneel 
down, with his face toward Jerusalem, and 
pray and render thanks to the Most High. 
But did he abandon this custom when that 
statute came into force? No; for when he 
knew that the writing was signed, he entered 
his house, and, while the windows of his room 
were open, prayed and gave thanks to God, 
three times each day, as he had done before, 
and as though there was no law against divine 
worship. His enemies discovered him in the 
act of worshipping his God, and went imme- 



92 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

diately to tlie king and divulged it to him, 
reminding him also that the law was unalter- 
able. Darius was greatly displeased with him- 
self because he had been induced to pass such 
a law; and he endeavored in every possible 
way to repeal it, and labored till sunset to pro- 
tect his accused friend, but all in vain. He 
was compelled to do as the law required. At 
his command Daniel is arrested. An apparent 
victory is gained by his enemies. How they 
chuckle over their scheme ! Now Daniel comes, 
followed by the rabble. What loud tramping 
there is ! What shouting ! What confusion ! 
people running from all quarters to see the 
christian statesman thrown among the wild 
beasts. After he is cast in the den, a stone is 
laid over the mouth of the den, and the king 
seals it with his own signet, and with the sig- 
net of his lords. The crowds have now moved 
away, and instead of the shoutings and tramp- 
ing of the multitude, there can only be heard 
the thunder-hke and terrific roar of the hons. 
Darius, whose heart is full of sorrow and re- 
morse, hopes that God will deliver Daniel. 
How he regrets on account of having estab- 



A SLEEPLESS NIGHT. 93 



lished a law which, might be the ruin of the 
chief president. "Then the king went to his 
"palace and passed the night fasting; neither 
"were instruments of music brought before 
"him; and his sleep went from him." On 
previous nights he was feasting, and enjoying 
sweet odours, and listening to soul-stirring 
and delightful music ; but on the night when 
Daniel was in the den, there was no rest for 
him. Nothing could give him solace. No 
music, however sweet, could please him. No 
edibles, however dehcate, could induce him to 
eat. He was uneasy and wretched. He 
passed a sleepless night, as the result of his 
indiscretion. How very many people pass 
sleepless nights! How many retire, but not 
to rest! They hear the clock strike every 
hour, and their eyes become wearied by look- 
ing upon night's sombrous shadows. 

In the first place, I remark, that a hnoivledge 
of being sjnritually insecure brings sleepless 
nights to many persons. All of us desire to be 
safe, not only in this world, but in the next. 
Why do men get insurance on their property? 
Because they wish to be safe from heavy 



94 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 



losses. Why does tlie workingman labor so 
assiduously to lay a little money past? Be- 
cause lie wishes to be safe in times of depres- 
sion, or when feebleness from sickness or old 
age, might render him incapable for work. 
"Why have there been made so many scientific 
discoveries for the protection of human hfe? 
Because people are looking for, and are in 
pursuit of safety. A consciousness of danger 
gives painful anxiety. And those who are in 
spiritual jeopardy, and reahze their situation, 
have but little happiness and contentment. 
The fear of death is their torture. Every 
hour they are haunted by this fear. Nor does 
it leave them after their occupations have 
ended for the day. Indeed it comes with 
night's gloom to harrass with still greater 
anguish, and balmy sleep refuses to draw near 
them to fold them in its robe of dreamy quie- 
tude, and the chamber echoes v^^ith cries of 
distress, and the pillow becomes moistened 
with tears. They take a wild look into the 
future, and the glance sends a sensation of 
horror through them. No hope of eternal hfe 
cheers them. A knowledge of sins forgiven 



A SLEEPLESS NIGILT. 95 

is not possessed by them. They are tossed 
about by the wild breakers of sin — without 
anchor, or helm, or compass. The darkness 
deepens around them ; the winds of a troubled 
conscience blow with increasing fury, and, in 
their distress, they exclaim, "Oh, that the 
morning would dawn! I am not prepared to 
die." Troubled soul, you will find rest in 
Jesus. Take him as your Saviour, and your 
sleep will be sweet, and you can say with the 
Psalmist, "I will both lay me dowm in peace, 
"and sleep: for thou. Lord, only makest me 
"dwell in safety. " The presence of the Master 
makes us courageous, disperses all gloom, set- 
tles all troubles, quells the heart-throbbings, 
and brings tranquillity and true enjoyment. 
It is a great mistake for people to worry and 
fret continually over their sins, never going to 
him whose "blood cleanseth from all sin." 
Do not be always looking at self. That will 
not help you. Look to Jesus ! He alone can 
save. At one time I was out in a small sail- 
boat when a heavy sea w^as rolhng. The wind 
struck our sails by sudden gusts, almost cap- 
sizing the boat. It was a time of imminent 



96 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

danger. The miglity swells surged along with 
angry roar, carrying us at their will. Finally 
a strong gust struck us, which would have 
proved disastrous, had not one of the sailors 
let go the fore- sheet at our bidding. That 
having been let loose, saved us. So when we 
let go of self, and chng to Christ, we are per- 
fectly secure. He saves us. "The name of 
the Lord is a strong tower." 

Again: a hioivledge of having repeatedly 
rejected offered mercy ^ hrings sleepless nights 
to many persons. Ah! it was their rejection 
of salvation which has made hundreds so mis- 
erable in their last moments. It was their 
knowledge of misimproved opportunities which 
so much intensified their grief, and made the 
valley so frightfully obscure as they entered it. 
How many persons make use of every chance 
to hear a sermon, but yet do nothing further 
than to listen. Every Sabbath they are found 
in their places in the house of God; every Sab- 
bath they hear the Saviour's earnest in^dta- 
tions to sinners. Every Sabbath they are told 
of a loving Jesus, of free salvation, of sustain- 
ing grace, of heavenly pleasures, of the brevity 



A SLEEPLESS NIGHT. 97 

of life, of the immortality of the soul, of the 
solemn hour of death, of the Judgment Day, of 
eternal life, and everlasting punishment — they 
are told all these, and still refuse to accept the 
pearl of great price. They listen to the clos- 
ing remarks of the minister; they engage, 
perchance, in singing the closing hymn, and 
reverently how while the benediction is being 
pronounced ; and they leave the place of wor- 
ship and return to their homes, without put- 
ting forth any effort to escape. They retire 
to their sleeping- apartment, where they solilo- 
quize of their extreme folly. They contem- 
plate the peace of mind which would follow 
their acceptance of free grace. Yet they 
openly reject what they know to be indispen- 
sable to their present and future happiness. 
Alas ! how dilatory we are in regard to spiri- 
tual affairs ! It takes some men a hfe-time to 
decide whether they will become christians; 
and very often they are stricken down sud- 
denly before arriving at such a decision. My 
hearers, the importance of being reconciled to 
God is so apparent that there should not be 
the shghtest hesitation on the part of the sin- 



98 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

ner. Human life is too sacred, too brief, and 
too full of responsibility, to be frittered away 
by conjecturing, and vacillating and skepticis- 
ing. As Lady Huntingdon was on ber way 
one evening to a brilliant assembly, tbese 
words, wbicb sbe bad committed to memory 
years before, in learning tbe catecbism, sud- 
denly returned to ber mind, — "Man's cbief 
"end is to glorify Grod and to enjoy bim for- 
"ever." Her contemplation of tbese words 
moulded ber future life. Sbe gave berseK 
entirely to tbe Saviour, and ber wbole bfe 
became one "Hving sacrifice." tbat tbis 
same trutb would ilasb powerfully upon tbe 
souls of all tbe unsaved before me, cbanging 
tbe disposition, renovating tbe corrupt beart, 
creating boly aspirations, and making tbe 
wbole Hfe beautiful. 

Furtber: a hnoioledge of having lived a 
wortJiless life, brings sleepless nights to many 
"persons. A futile life may be compared to tbe 
dasbing of waters against a rock-bound coast. 
For centuries tbe salt sea bas broken upon tbe 
stern, invincible adamant ; but no visible im- 
pression is left. On tbe otber band, a useful 



A SLEEPLESS NLGHT. 99 

life may be compared to the sea as it rolls in 
upon the pebbly strand. The waves flowing 
in and then receding, add more beauty and 
deeper colors to the pebbles and shells that 
adorn the beach, and make it a pleasant resort 
for the care-worn. The stones are rendered 
smooth and attractive, while the sand is col- 
lected in beautiful shapes by the agitation of 
the water. Noble and God-hke is that life 
which brightens and refreshes everything it 
touches ! But alas ! for that one whose hf e is 
only a blank. Eternal ages could not wipe 
out the stain left by such a hfe! A young 
man was converted during an illness which 
proved fatal. Upon hearing that he could not 
recover, he said, "Oh, my lost life-time! I'm 
twenty-four, and, until a few weeks since, 
nothing has been done for Christ, and every- 
thing for myseK and' my pleasures. My com- 
panions will think I've made a profession in 
view of death. Oh, that I could hve to meet 
this remark, and do something to show my 
sincerity, and to redeem my lost, lost, lost 
hfe ! " Look around you and you will see mul- 
titudes who are hving useless hyes. You see 



100 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

the drunkard's life, no good deeds adorning it. 
Instead of being a benefit to his family, he is 
an injury. Instead of being a credit to the 
community in which he lives, he is a disgrace. 
You see mothers, also, who fail to perform 
their duty to the children God has intrusted 
to their keeping. Oh, what a grand work a 
woman can effect in her own family circle ! It 
is not necessary that mothers should step be- 
yond the boundary of domestic life, in order 
to find employment. The home is su.fficient 
to bring into play all the talents, and call into 
requisition all the knowledge of which the 
mother is in possession. And yet some women 
are always teazing and worrying about the 
question of "Woman's Eights," as if they were 
kept down and refused their rights. Let 
women be careful to look into their homes and 
see that everything is all right there, before 
they wrangle about affairs outside the pale of 
feminine modesty. If all mothers would be 
content to use those rights they have, there 
would be more happy homes, and more well- 
trained children, than there are. A mother's 
life and influence may be a blessing or a curse 



A SLEEPLESS NIGHT. 101 



to her children. Henry Ward Beecher says, 
"The mother's heart is the child's school- 
room." Yes, and whatever is taught therein 
will mould that child's future life. Mothers, 
be faithful and prudent teachers. Then, 
again, there are men whose only desire is to 
accumulate wealth. They care not how the 
world wags, if they are only successful enough 
to accomphsh their purpose. They never 
assist any good cause, never labor for the ele- 
vation of the degraded milhons, never point 
one sinner to the "Lamb of God that taketh 
away the sin of the world," never offer a. 
prayer, nor attend our Sabbath meetings, nor 
manifest any concern for their own salvation. 
But the time will come when they will agonize 
on account of having hved in vain. Remorse, 
bitter in the extreme, will seize them, as the 
reproachful memories of the past cluster be- 
fore their minds, and, hke Darius, they will 
find no rest, and their nights will be sleepless, 
and their cup of grief full to overflowing. 

In conclusion, I wish to say, that our man- 
ner of life here will be recorded by a Divine 
hand, and the record will be produced on that 



102 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

great day when all secrets shall be divulged, 
and all dark deeds brought to hght. If the 
record be good, all will be well; if it be bad, 
punishment will ensue. Strive, then, to the 
utmost of your abihty, and in the strength of 
an omnipotent God, to live a life, the record of 
which will bring from the hps of the Supreme 
Judge, this glowing eulogy, "Well done!" 
May the actions of your life be such as will 
place many stars in your crown of rejoicing; 
and may your last moments be made happy 
from a knowledge that your career has not 
been one of selfishness and shame. 




JESUS, THE RESCUER. 103 



JESUS, THE KESCUEK. 

" Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying 
in. a manger," — Luke ii,, 12. 

"And thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his 
people from their sins." — Matt, i., 21. 

AUE Saviour's Nativity is a theme which 
^ has dehghted the noblest and purest of 
minds. The student of the heavenly bodies 
may boast of the captivating theme of astron- 
omy ; the philosopher may tell us of his happy 
topics ; the lyric poet may sing to us of Nature's 
embeUishments ; but none of these themes 
can compare with the glorious theme we are 
about to contemplate. Itistranscendentlymore 
beautiful and comprehensive than Bunyan's 
"Pilgrim's Progress," or Baxter's "Saints' 
Everlasting Kest." 

In the first place, let us notice a few of the 
"circumstances connected with the birth of Christ. 



104 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

Caesar Augustus has issued a decree for a 
" census of the Roman Empire and its subject 
kingdoms;" and the people are flocking, each 
to his own city, to he taxed. Joseph and 
Mary are in the crowd. They are leaving 
their home at Nazareth and going to Bethle- 
hem, the royal city of David, to whose house 
they belong. Now they have reached the 
city; but are unable to find a lodging-place. 
The inn, for the accommodation of travellers, 
is filled with important and wealthy people ; 
so that, for such as Joseph and Mary, who are 
poor and, to all appearance, less important, 
there is no room. But there's a stable close 
by, into which they go for shelter! What! 
they belong to the royal city of David, and 
yet their circumstances are such as will not 
allow them to go to the inn? Yes, verily so. 
After a journey of sixty miles, they are neces- 
sitated to repair to a building or cave which is 
partially used as a protection for cattle. They 
are too poor to " put up " at the inn. 

Now the shades of night are clustering 
around Bethlehem city, causing it to wear a 
sombre, but significant appearance. Seated 



JESUS, THE RESCUER. 105 

on an eminence, how majestically it rises 
toward the star-decked skies! The light of 
the pale moon comes streaming down upon 
that royal city, and upon its district which is 
adorned with ohves, vines, and fig-trees. The 
noise, caused by the arrival of so many people 
from various parts, is not now heard ; a solemn, 
yet pleasing silence reigns ; and brighter and 
still brighter shine the firmamental lamps 
above the Judean plains, till the whole scene 
becomes one of enchantment and rare beauty. 
Time passes on ; and strange sights and sounds 
come forth. The shepherds that are on the 
night-watches over their flocks, are startled 
by the sudden approach of an angel; and the 
glory of the Lord shines round about them; 
and the angel speaks, saying : " Fear not : for 
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 
which shall be to all people. For unto you is 
born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, 
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be 
a sign unto you ; ye shall find the babe wrap- 
ped in swaddhng clothes, lying in a manger. " 
Now rings out, from a host of angehc voices, 
a mighty and heavenly chorus, the " mysteri- 



106 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

ous first music of the christian world!" And 
away in the distance are uttered the ever- 
memorable words, " Glory to God in the 
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward 
men ! " 

After the departure of the angels, the shep- 
herds agree to go into Bethlehem to see the 
babe who is to be the Saviour of the world. 
They discover him in the manger with his 
mother, Mary, and with Joseph, just as the 
angel had said. And this is the same Mary 
who was too poor to go to the inn, and was 
compelled to take shelter in a building or cave 
in which cattle were kept. x\.nd it was in a 
manger that the child Jesus was born and 
nursed — in a manger where was born that One 
whose "name shall be called Wonderful, Coun- 
sellor, The Mighty God,The Everlasting Father, 
The Prince of Peace. " No palatial adornments 
surrounded Him! His sleeping apartment 
contained no costly curtains, nor showy tinsel, 
nor dazzhng chandelier, nor handsome bou- 
quets, nor extravagant perfumes ! No retinue 
of domestics was in readiness to wait upon 
Mary and her child! There was nothing of 



JESUS, THE RESCUER. 107 

the kind. The world's Kedeemer had but a 
stable for His birth-place, and a manger for 
His couch. Everything connected with His 
birth was obviously suggestive of meekness 
and humihty. 

" stand amazed, ye heavens, at this! 
See the Lord of earth and skies; — 
Humbled in the dust He is, 
And in a manger lies!" 

At Jerusalem, the palace of Herod, the 
king, was much disturbed by the circumstance 
of the Messiah's birth. Wise men came from 
the east to Jerusalem, inquiring for the new- 
born King, at the same time announcing that 
they had seen His star, and had come to wor- 
ship Him. Herod, upon hearing the news, 
was troubled, and so was all Jerusalem. It 
seems singular that this city did not hear of 
the Saviour's birth, until the intelligence was 
conveyed by strangers who had travelled a 
distance of perhaps a thousand miles; and 
yet the birth took place not six miles from 
Jerusalem. But Herod's alarm deepens; and 
he summonses a large convocation, so that he 
may obtain some knowledge of this important 
matter — important, I say, because it affected 



108 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

his throne. He wishes the excitement to die; 
and, therefore, privately calls the wise men, 
of whom he inquires what time the star ap- 
peared. Then he sends them to Bethlehem, 
saying, — "Go and search dihgently for the 
young child; and when ye have found him, 
hring me word again, that I may come and 
worship Him. " They now leave the presence 
of the king, and the star goes before them, as 
their guide, and stands where the young child 
is. They enter the house, and fall down and 
worship the Messiah ; and, opening their treas- 
ures which they have brought with them, they 
present the Saviour with gifts, gold, frankin- 
cense, and myrrh, according to the custom 
followed when in the presence of those of 
high rank. 

Shortly after this, while the wise men are 
asleep, a dream passes over them, — a dream 
sent by God. It warns them not to return to 
Herod; and, taking another way, they depart 
into their own country. Joseph also has a 
dream, in which the angel of the Lord appear- 
eth unto him, and says,— "Arise, and take the 
young child and his mother, and flee into 



JESUS, THE RESCUER. 109 

Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee 
word : for Herod will seek .the young child to 
destroy him." He obeys the command! And 
in the night-time, when stillness reigns around, 
they leave the shrouded city of Bethlehem, 
to go into Egypt. After a few days journey, 
by the ordinary caravan road, they will arrive 
at their destination. There will be some ex- 
pense connected with such a journey; but the 
gifts left them by the Magi will enable them 
to defray the expense. 

Herod is enraged because he has been 
shghted by the wise men ; and in his fury what 
does he do? — Why, he dehberately murders 
all the children, from two years old and under, 
in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof. 
But the child Jesus is out of his reach ! 

Is not, then, the history of the Saviour's 
birth characterized by mysterious and tragic 
occurrences? The "Flight into Egypt" has 
occupied the attention of skillful painters, and 
afforded to the literary genius a theme upon 
which he delighted to dwell ! The " Birth in 
the Manger," and the "Angels appearing to 
the Shepherds on the Plains, " have also secured 



110 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

■undivided attention and won the highest admi- 
ration! Well might the poet write, in the 
most elegant and suhlime language, upon a 
theme so gloriously interesting as the theme 
of Our Saviour's Nativity! Well might the 
composer of music excel in his composition 
for those words which proclaim the rapturous 
news of the Advent ! Well might the heavenly 
host hreak forth into seraphic strains, after the 
angel had announced to the shepherds on the 
Judean hills, the hirth of King Emmanuel! 

In the second place, I call your attention to 
the mission of Christ. It was a mission of love ! 
love whose depth is unfathomable ! whose free- 
dom is astonishing ! whose sweetness is unsur- 
passable ! When a world was agonizing under 
the intolerable burden of sin ; when it beheld 
inevitable death rushing towards it, with hor- 
rid grin and ghastly appearance ; when, upon 
taking a glance into the future, it saw a dis- 
mal, frightful, and an eternal gloom awaiting 
it; when, through the grated window of its 
own cell, it observed stern justice approaching, 
with unfaltering step, to punish, — then there 
was a happy interposition ! Love Divine sprang 



JESUS, THE RESCUER. Ill 

in between tlie guilty and the offended — be- 
tween sinful liumanity and Gi-od, the Infinite 
One. Christ, the only begotten Son of God, 
was the interposer! He said, — " I'll give my 
Hfe to shield that world from everlasting woe, 
and torment, and disgrace ! " And He leaves 
His Father's throne in yonder heaven, denies 
himseK all honor and dignity, and enters upon 
His mission of love ! 

" O, for this love let rocks and hills 

Their lasting silence break, 
And all harmonious human tongues 

The Saviour's praises speak ! " 

A certain man had a wayward son. His 
conduct brought down his father to a prema- 
ture grave. On the day of his funeral the son 
was present. He saw, unmoved, the pale face 
of his father in the coffin. He stood, unmoved, 
on the brink of the grave, when that cold form 
was lowered to the bottom. The family retraced 
their steps. Their father's will and testament 
was read : in that testament was the name of 
the undutiful son. iVs his name was read, his 
heart heaved with emotion, his eyes were be- 
dewed with tears, and he was heard to say, — 



112 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



"I did not think that my father would have so 
kindly thought of me in his will. " x\nd so we 
are surprised that our names have been men- 
tioned by the everlasting Father, that notwith- 
standing our manifold sins, Christ has willed 
us eternal hfe. 

The mission of Christ was also one of deep 
sufferance. His temptation in the wilderness ; 
his expulsion from Jerusalem and Judea; the 
cruel treatment he received in the city of 
Nazareth, when the citizens dragged him out 
intending to hurl him over a steep precipice ; 
his rejection at Samaria; the attempt made to 
stone him, while he was walking in the portico 
of Solomon's Temple; his sorrow because of 
the treachery of Judas; his agony in the gar- 
den of Gethsemane ; his arraignment before the 
Sanhedrim, as a false prophet and blasphemer ; 
the insults he received when he w^as brought 
before Pilate and Herod; and then, his cruci- 
fixion; — these convey to us only a faint idea 
of the sufferings endured by the Messiah, dur- 
ing his sojourn among men ! Yes, while it was 
a mission of love, it was also one of deep suffer- 
ance — sufferance which tongue fails to describe, 



JESUS, THE RESCUER. 113 

and mind fails to conceive, and the painter's 
skill fails to represent. 

The work of human redemption is amazing 
in its character! Who can contemplate it, 
without having aroused in their minds the 
noblest and hohest aspirations? Who can 
think of a Saviour's love, and not become 
seriously impressed? A world — once far from 
God — brought preciously near unto Him by 
the blood of Jesus! A world — once on the 
verge of eternal ruin — rescued from the danger 
by a Divine hand ! The deep gloom of hellish 
night, which had already hung over the human 
race, vanished before the flashing of the celes- 
tial hght which escorted the world's Redeemer, 
The great debt that would have sunken hu- 
manity into the pit of the lost, was entirely 
wiped away by the only begotten Son of God. 

Then, let man's Dehverer be loudly praised 
by a world of human voices! Let there be 
sung an awakening chorus, in which all the 
instruments of pleasing sound shall be heard, 
to make still louder the joyous " Hallelujah to 
the Lamb," until the entire earth be over- 
whelmed with a flood of harmony, whose laugh- 
ing waters shall never subside! 



114 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

Finally, let us notice the fulfillment of proph- 
ecy in the event of our Savioiir^s hirth. It was 
prophesied of the Messiah, "that he should be 
incarnate before the sceptre departed from Ju- 
dah ; that he should be born of a virgin ; that 
he should be of the seed of David, and of the tribe 
of Judah; that the place of his nativity should 
be Bethlehem, a village of Judea; that his 
name should be Immanuel; that he should ap- 
pear in the form of a servant, and after a mean 
and contemptible life, should be betrayed by 
one of his own household, and cut off for the 
sins of the people." And there has been a 
fulfillment of all this that was prophesied of 
the Saviour, thus affording to the skeptic 
mind no grounds for doubting the truthfulness 
and genuineness of the Prophetic Writings. 
If there had not been a fulfillment of prophecy 
in the event of the Messiah's birth, the infidel 
would have occasion to express his disbelief in 
the existence of a God, and his want of confi- 
dence in the Bible; but, happily, he has no 
occasion. His most extravagant assertions 
concerning religion; the most artful plans 
his inventive genius can hit upon, for the over- 



JESUS, THE RESCUER. 115 

throw of trutli, and the prevention of the 
spread of " pure and undefiled " rehgion, can 
not wrestle, for a moment, with those sacred 
truths which are the armor of the christian 
soldier, and which make him invincible in the 
spiritual fight! ''Truth is mighty, and will 
prevail!" 

In conclusion, let me say, that Jesus, of 
whom we have been speaking, has placed 
within the reach of every sinner a " pearl of 
great price." And what is this pearl? It is 
salvation from sin and its consequences. And 
then, we have, imphed in this salvation, heav- 
enly fruition, everlasting rest, a crown of 
glory, a seat among the angels and our dear 
friends who have crossed the flood! 0, how 
much there is implied in that one word — sal- 
vation ! And we can have salvation without 
having to pay for it, although it cost the life 
and terrible sufferings of the Son of God ! 

Once there was a poor woman who greatly 
desired a bunch of grapes from the king's, 
conservatory, for her sick child. She took 
half a crown, and went to the king's gardener, 
and tried to purchase the grapes, but was. 



116 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

rudely turned away. Procuring more money, 
she put forth a second effort; but failed. It 
happened that the king's daughter heard the 
angry words of the gardener, and the crying 
of the woman; and she inquired into the 
matter. When the poor woman had told her 
story, the Princess said, " My dear woman, 
you were mistaken. My father is not a mer- 
chant, hut a king; his business is not to sell, 
but to give:" whereupon she plucked the 
bunch from the vine, and gently dropped it 
into the woman's apron. Now, salvation is 
not sold to us; it is given to us, "without 
money, and without price ! " 

"Hail! the heaven-born Prince of Peace! 
Hail! the Sun of Kighteousness! 
Light and life to all he brings, 
Kisen with healing in his wings. 

"Mild he lays his glory by, 

Born that man no more may die; 
Born to raise the sons of earth. 
Born to give them second birth!" 



THE GLORIOUS REFUGE. 117 



THE GLOEIOUS EEFUOE. 

" The Lord of hosts is with us ; the God of Jacob is our 
refuge. " — Psalm xlvi., 11. 

rpmS glorious truth has heen echoed and 
-■- re-echoed on down through the ages till 
the present time ; and now it is re-echoed hy 
the existing generation with increasing enthu- 
siasm and still louder tones. The key-note 
struck hy the Psalmist was hut the prelude to 
the overwhelming chorus which was after- 
wards taken up hy generations and wafted tri- 
umphantly to the remotest corners of the 
earth. The apostles and martyrs caught up 
the strain; and scarcely had their voices heen 
lost in death, when others took up the strain^ 
and thus it has been sustained all through the 
centuries. Thus it has heen rolhng on and 
on, till the church of to-day heard the glad 
song ; and she too joins in it ; so that from her 



118 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

million choirs, and lier million piilpits, and her 
million assemblies, there swells the shout, — 
"The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of 
Jacob is our refuge. " There is always a fresh- 
ness with this anthem. Sainted singers never 
tire of it. The more frequently it is sung, the 
brighter shines the truth it conveys. The 
beauty, and consolation, and richness are not 
in any wise extracted from it by its frequent 
repetition. The contemplative mind perceives 
new charms clustering around these words, 
each time he studies them, as the naturahst 
perceives new wonders while pursuing his 
favorite study. 

In the first place, I remark, that God is the 
refuge of his people in the time of their temp- 
tation. The most pious and exemplary christ- 
ians have had to contend against the greatest 
temptations. And it seems to me those who 
do the most good have the sorest temptations. 
The Devil went to Martin Luther and tempted 
him severely. John Knox, a few hours before 
his death, awoke from sleep, sighing deeply, 
on account of being, just then, furiousl}' 
assailed bv the x\rch-fiend. But both these 



THE GLORIOUS REFUGE. 119 



heroes found a refuge in Jehovah, when temp- 
tation's tidal wave rolled in upon them. No 
temptation, however violent, is sufficient to 
overthrow and destroy the man or w^oman who 
places itnphcit confidence in the Lord of hosts. 
The grace of God is equal to any exigency. 
And, blessed be his name, this grace is free, 
and will not be withheld from those who walk 
uprightly. 

"All needful grace will God bestow, 
And crown that grace with glory too; 
He gives us all things, and withholds 
No real good from upright souls," 

Without this grace or Divine aid the christ- 
ian could not stand. Without the sword of 
the Spirit the soldier of Christ would be de- 
feated in battle, and Satan would come out 
victoriously. "But thanks be unto God who 
giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus 
Christ." The arm of Omnipotence is thrown 
around the tempted one, and where Jesus is 
there is perfect safety from the storms of 
temptation, k. fleet of a hundred vessels lay 
at anchor in a port of the Mediterranean, when 
a fearful storm burst upon them, and drove all 



120 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

on shore save one vessel. The wonder was 
how that one could have held its anchorage. 
Bnt it was discovered that its anchor had 
grappled into another which lay firmly imbed- 
ded in the bottom of the sea. So, my "hearers, 
the soul anchored to Christ will be able to out- 
ride all the storms of temptation. 

Further : God is the refucf'e of his people in 
the time of their danger. He was the refuge 
of the Israelitish hosts at the time they were 
pursued by the army of Pharaoh, the refuge 
of David when Saul was thirsting for his 
blood, the refuge of Daniel when in the den 
of hons, the refuge of Paul when he was in 
danger of being murdered by the enraged mob 
at Ephesus, the refuge of Peter when he was 
beginning to sink beneath the tossing waves 
of the sea of Gralilee, and he continues to be 
the refuge of his people. The church militant 
can sing: — "God is our refuge and strength, a 
"very present help in trouble. Therefore will 
"not we fear, though the earth be removed, and 
"though the mountains be carried into the 
"midst of the sea; though the waters thereof 
"roar and be troubled; though the mountains 



THE GLORIOUS REFUGE. 121 

" shake witli the swelhng thereof. " In my own 
history there have been times when an Omnip- 
otent arm has saved me from a watery grave, 
and shielded me from the assassin's treachery. 
"The Lord of hosts has been with me; the 
God of Jacob has been my refuge." 

A soldier of the English army, when on 
shipboard going to the East, was severely 
flogged for some shght offence. Maddened by 
the punishment, he threw himself overboard 
as soon as he was released. A high sea was 
running at the time, and all hope of rescuing 
him vanished. While he was strugghng amid 
the foaming waves, a large albatross made a 
swoop at him. In the agonies of the death- 
struggle, he seized it. The bird fluttered, and 
tried to escape ; thus supporting the soldier for 
a long time, till a boat could be lowered, which 
reached and rescued him. Now, ofttimes God's 
children are in as imminent peril as was that 
soldier. Frequently it has seemed that their 
destruction was inevitable ; but at the moment 
of their deepest despair, they have been mar- 
vellously dehvered. The impending catastro- 
phe has been averted. Yes, God stands by his 



122 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

people who are in danger, and assures them 
that he will be with them always, even till the 
end. Let those who are in peril, hide in the 
pavilion of the Almighty. He is a strong 
tower and a rock of defence for snch; and 
though a host of enemies rise up against you, 
though your bark be driven about on hfe's 
wide ocean, and darkness reigns over the 
waters, and the gale howls with wildest fury, 
remember that there is One mighty to save. 

Again: G-od is the refuge of Ms people in 
the tivie of their emharrassment in business 
affairs. I know business men who would have 
been in their graves long ago, if they had not 
cast their cares on a loving Jesus. Why all 
this worry over matters, when we can leave 
them with our Heavenly Father for settle- 
ment? Why so many sleepless nights, and 
confused minds, and aching heads, and fren- 
zied movements, over difficulties out of which 
God will bring you, if you will but confide in 
him? Perhaps there is some one ready to say, 
"It's no use for you to talk like that. No won- 
"der I become frantic. I've a payment to 
"make to a certain firm in a few days, and I 



THE GLORIOUS REFUGE. 123 

"haven't the money." Well, let me say, the 
more embarrassed your circumstances are, the 
greater your need of Divine aid. Have you ever 
gone to the Saviour with your troubles and 
soHcited his counsel and assistance? Have 
you ever prayed, "0, Lord, help me out of this 
difficulty?" I propose that you consult God 
concerning your affairs, and see what will be the 
results. Until you have made such a move 
you are not in a position to object to the prop- 
osition I have laid down. But you would not 
feel like offering objections after making this 
move, but would express your approval of what 
I had proposed. Bear in mind, however, that 
God does not always see fit to remove our 
anxieties at once. Trials are useful. They 
bring us face to face with the Eternal One, 
and show to us our dependence on Him. But 
we will not be tried with a severity so intense 
that we shall not be able to endure it. "As 
thy days, so shall thy strength be," is the 
promise left on record for our encouragement ; 
and when Christ is with us during our mo- 
ments of adversity, we need not fear, for he is 
our stay and salvation. Perplexed one, you 



124 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



will find refuge from trouble, by going to tlie 
world's Eedeemer. "Blessed is that man that 
maketb the Lord his trust." 

Again : God is the refuge of his people in 
the time of their hereavevient. We glance 
over the past, and think of the time when the 
angel of death made a swoop at home's bright 
circle, and carried away a dear one to the other 
shore. To us that was an hour of grief and 
lonehness when we sat by the bed on which 
lay the lifeless form of a near relative. We 
looked at the eyes, glazen and meaningless, 
and we wept to think that the animation had 
deserted them. We beheld the pale, sunken 
cheek, which, but a short time before, was 
mantled with the gay flush of gladness, and 
the sight was more than we could withstand. 
How lonely home was then ! Music and song 
hushed. Merry voices decreased to faint 
whisperings. Grioom in every apartment. 

And it is in the time of bereavement that 
the Saviour is especially near to his children. 
He enters the room of mourning, draws aside 
the curtains to let light into the souls of the 
bereft, pours consolation into the mourners' 



THE GLORIOUS REFUGE. 125 

hearts, and points out to them that land where 
tears are never shed, and death leaves no chill, 
and disease leaves no pain. It is said that in 
a distant sea there is an island, from whose 
shores the fishermen sail in small crafts to 
procure the treasures of the deep. During 
their absence from this island, thick mists often 
gather over highland, chff, and beacon, and 
the mariners are left without a mark by which 
to steer their laden barks. But in these dull 
hours they are not left to wander on the path- 
less sea; for when the time for their return 
arrives, the women of the islet — mothers, wives, 
sisters, and daughters — all descend to the 
shores, and raise the voice of song. The 
sound of their voices is borne over the water 
by the gentle zephyrs, till it falls sweetly on 
the ears of the sailors. The famihar voices 
serve as their guide ; and they steer their boats 
in safety to the shore. So does the bereaved 
christian hear the consoling voice of Jesus, 
when the thick mists of tribulation linger on 
hfe's sea. That voice falls soothingly on the 
ear of the mother who has lost the child of 
her affection. It falls tenderly on the ears of 



126 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

sons and daughters who have sat by the death- 
bed of loving parents, and watched their last 
struggles ; and the bereaved ones are enabled 
to say, " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord. " 
"When relatives leave us, Jesus conies to stay 
with us during our lonely moments. He is a 
friend above all others. How attentive he is 
to the cries of the distressed. How wilhng he 
is to administer solace, and bear our sorrows, 
and restore to us tranquility of mind. 

In the last place, I remark: God is the 
refuge of his people ivhile they are passing 
through the valley of death. Alas! for those 
who, in the hour of death, are without refuge. 
Alas! for those who take a wild leap into 
eternity, not having any hope of an immortal 
existence with God and angels. What calamity 
could be greater! Who could endure the 
thought of dying without Christ, and facing 
the frown of the Eternal God ! A. dying man 
exclaimed, "Ah! the day in which I ought to 
" have worked is over ; and now I see a horri- 
" ble night approaching, bringing with it the 
"blackness of darkness forever." How sad 



THE GLORIOUS REFUGE. Vll 

were the last utterances of Mirabeaii and 
Francis Newport ! God forbid that any of my 
hearers should wander through death's valley 
unsupported, unguided, and uncomforted ! 0, 
there is a better way to die ! We may make 
the transition with rejoicing and hallelujahs, 
as did Parsons, and Shadford, and the late 
Phebe Palmer. How triumphantly this noble 
woman left the shores of earth. Among her 
dying words were these, " Hallelujah! precious 
Jesus ! I pass through the valley, but without 
the shadow, trusting in Christ. 0, death! 
where is thy sting? 0, grave! where is thy 
victory?" 

My dear friends, Jesus does much for the 
dying christian. He quells the palpitating 
heart, alleviates suffering, hfts the veil of 
gloom, holds the hand of the dying one, and 
causes the distant shore to appear nearer and 
brighter. Earth is forgotten. Its charms 
sink into utter insignificance, while the eager 
eyes of the departing mortal feast on the bril- 
hancy of the summer land of song, to which 
he is fast hastening. Heavenly smiles hght 
up his face, as he catches the sweetly-flowing 



128 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 

sonnds of angelic voices, and hears the music, 
indescribably sweet, which flows from the 
harps of celestial choirs; and in his ecstasy 
he exclaims, "0, yonder is heaven! Yonder is 
heaven! And Jesus is taking me there. 0, 
the sights ! 0, the unspeakable bliss ! " 

Well may the dying christian feel secure 
when the Saviour is nigh to comfort and sup- 
port him. Well may his face be radiant as he 
stands on the brink of death's cold, turbid 
stream, for the Friend of fainting pilgrims is 
with him. Well may he say in the beautiful 
language of Charles Wesley : 

" other refuge have I none; 

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee; 
Leave, O leave me not alone, 

Still support and comfort me. 
All my trust on Thee is stayed; 

All my help from Thee I bring; 
Cover my defenceless head 

With the shadow of Thy wing." 



THE ONLY ENTRANCE. 129 



THE ONLY ENTEANCE. 

"I am the door." — John x., 9. 

TT has been observed by Sir Isaac Newton 
-■- that our Lord, being close by the temple, 
where sheep were confined in folds, spoke par- 
abohcally of sheep, of their shepherds, and of 
the sheep-fold. Hence, the text contains a 
figure of speech, the use of which furnishes 
us, at once, and in the most vivid manner, 
with the idea our Saviour wished to convey. 
The trope to which I have reference, is one of 
rare beauty and striking appropriateness. The 
speaker asserted, and that, too, most distinctly 
and emphatically, that he was the door, and 
the only door, by which the sinner must enter, 
to obtain pardon and a title to that " inherit- 
ance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and 
that fadeth not away." But, alas! how many 
are unwilhng to enter by this door. And it is 



130 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

a grievous and terrible mistake when any per- 
son tries to get into heaven by any other door 
bnt Christ, who says, " I am the door." 

In the first place, it is a viistaJce to endeavor 
to gain admission into heaven hy the door of 
earthly accumidations . The money- safe of the 
banker, the merchandise of the merchant, the 
soil of the land-owner, have barricaded immor- 
tal souls out of heaven. The possession of 
miUions of money, the owning of a grand resi- 
dence, and of a costly carriage, and of high- 
mettled steeds, is not made a condition upon 
which salvation or heaven is secured. If it 
were a condition, I'm afraid many would seek, 
in vain, for admission into the mansions celes- 
tial; and there would be a sad, sad future for 
the indigent classes to behold. 0, it is a sat- 
isfaction to know that money is not asked of 
those who go up to the pearly gates. It is a 
consolation to poor people to know that they 
will not be required to plank down ten milhons 
of dollars, or fifteen milhons of dollars, before 
they can owtl seats in heaven. Jesus Christ 
haB purchased heaven for you, for me, and for 
all mankind; and we have a free pass right in 



THE ONLY ENTRANCE. 131 

amongst the glittering hosts. Nor is it a bogus 
pass either, for it hears the signature of the 
Bedeemer — a signature which was written 
with blood that streamed from his lacerated 
side when he was nailed to the cross. 0, you 
who imagine that a large collection of earthly 
treasures will insure your eternal safety, hasta 
to the door — Christ Jesus, the "'Lamb of Grod> 
who taketh away the sin of the world. " No 
one who approaches such entrance, behevingly, 
meets with disappointment. Above this door 
are the words : — "Knock, and it shall be opened 
unto you;" and there is this passage also: — 
"For there is none other name under heaven, 
given among men, whereby we must be saved,, 
but the name of Jesus ; " and there is yet this 
other passage : — "I am the way, the truth and 
the hfe ; no man cometh unto the Father, but 
by me." The millionaire must be content to 
go to heaven in the way that the beggar goes. 
There is no royal road to heaven for the ac- 
commodation of affiuent and snobbish person- 
ages. iVU who desire peace here and happiness, 
in eternity, must cast themselves at the foot 
of the cross, and say, 



132 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

" In my hand no price I bring; 
Simply to the cross I cling. " 

Place no confidence in riches, or they will be 
your destruction. When the Washington 
steamer took fire, one of the passengers, after 
the first alarm of fire was sounded, ran imme- 
diately to his trunk, and took from it a large 
amount of gold and silver coin; and, loading 
his pockets with it, he hurried on deck and 
jumped overboard'. Of course, he went down 
instantly. His treasure was his ruin! Ah! 
how many, with the weight of riches upon 
them, have had a similar transition; but the 
load, they deemed so precious, has dropped, 
beyond recall, at the terrific clutch of the 
grim monster Death. That load could not be 
taken into the next world. It was left behind. 
A. T. Stewart left it behind. WiUiam B. 
Astor left it behind. Every dying capitalist 
has left it behind. Why will men be so fool- 
ishly careful of that they are unable to retain? 
Why do they dare to build all their hopes on 
a crumbhng pile of wealth? Does God com- 
mand us to amass as much property and money 
as we can, in order that we may be saved? 



THE ONLY ENTRANCE. 133 

No, no ! It is not the gold of earth that will 
win for us a crown; it is simple, imphcit, con- 
tinuous faith in the Son of G-od as an all-suffi~ 
cient Saviour. He saves, and that to the 
uttermost, all who come unto him hy Faith. 
" I am. the door." 

Further : it is a mistahe to try to enter heaven 
hy the door of moral virtue. Now, moral ex- 
cellence does not imply conversion or the 
pardon of sin. It is very often one of the 
happy consequences of conversion. But many 
persons entertain the erroneous idea that a 
man of good, unimpeachahle moral character, 
is in a condition of salvation, and therefore 
an heir to heaven. There lived in a Connec- 
ticut village a man of great natural innocence 
of character, whose hfe was so beautiful, that 
his mother thought he must know what 
rehgion was. In his family, and among his; 
neighbors, he was all that could be desired.. 
During the progress of a revival, he became 
deeply impressed of his great want. Although 
a naturally quiet man, he came to church one 
evening deeply agitated. The burden of sin 
was heavy upon him. He went to the altar- 



134 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



rail with Ms wife, who was a christian, 
and there, in tears and agony, he wrestled 
for deliverance. He felt that nothing could 
help him so much as his wife's prayers, 
and constantly urged her to pray. She said 
she had never prayed in puhhc, and could not. 
He said she must. She did; and their broken 
petitions were soon answered by pardon and 
peace. Moralists are sometimes powerfully 
convicted and clearly converted. And had 
that man rested satisfied with the possession 
of only moral perfection, and never given heed 
to the spiritual, his soul would finally have 
been lost, and lost forever. My hearers, this is 
no new doctrine I am now promulgating. It is 
a doctrine which was openly declared in the 
christian church for ages. The declaration of it 
was heard even in the apostohc age. Our Saviour 
preached it. The heroic Paul preached it. The 
Wesleys preached it. The mighty Whitfield 
preached it; and, thank God, it is preached 
throughout the world in the present age ! And 
may the time never come when the evangehcal 
church would fling away this grand, wholesome, 
and fundamental doctrine. 



THE ONLY ENTRANCE. 135 



Morality is not religion. The former means 
the practice of moral and social duties ; while 
religion " denotes the influences and motives 
to human duty, which are found in the char- 
acter and will of God." The one means ex- 
ternal virtue, merely; the other means both 
external and internal virtue. The one imphes 
hmitation; the other imphes unbounded ex- 
tension. Hence, you will see the value and 
importance of conversion, of being born of 
the Holy Spirit. " Except a man be born again, 
he cannot see the kingdom of God. " An in- 
ward change must be effected ; the heart must 
be cleansed from sin, by the power of Jesus' 
blood. If you experience this change of heart, 
your happiness, while on earth, will be inex- 
pressible ; and when death overtakes you, and 
eternity is revealed to your sight, you can 
gladly use the dying words of Bishop Janes, 
and say, — "I am not disappointed. " That will 
be the moment when your rehgion will do you 
good service, in opening a door that you may 
go into the celestial city. Sir Walter Scott, 
when dying, took a calm look at Lockhart, and 
said, "I may have but a minute to speak to 



136 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

you. My dear, be a good man; be virtuous; 
be religious. Nothing else will give you any 
comfort wben you come to lie here ; " and after 
asking God to bless bis friends, he passed 
away. 0, yes, 

" 'Tis religion that can give 
Sweetest pleasure while we live; — 
'Tis religion can supply 
Solid comfort when we die." 

Again: I remark that it is a mistake to 
attempt to get into lieaven hy the door of 
popularity and scholarship. The river of 
fame appears bright at a distance; but a 
great many who have come to bathe in its 
waters have felt a chill and a pang. There 
are men who strive for nothing beyond an 
illustrious name. Anything they would give 
to reach the goal of their ambitious desire. 
They hesitate not to sacrifice the best princi- 
ples, to reach it. Madly they cry out, " Give 
me but popularity, and I throw all else aside ! " 
They long to be decked with the garland of 
worldly honors, and to receive the adoration 
of nations, and the most high-sounding eulo- 
gies that could be bestowed on mortal. 0, 



THE ONLY ENTRANCE. 137 

fame, thou art the charming, delusive goddess 
of earth! At thy shrine, multitudes bow and 
worship. Thy brilhant hues arrest and hold 
the attention, till at last thy lover finds thee 
false, insufficient, and aggravating ! The most 
eminent statesmen found it so. Then, what 
a sad mistake it is to try to obtain happiness 
here and peace in eternity by means of mere 
popularity! What did popularity accomphsh 
for Pitt, or Sheridan, or for Byron, who de- 
spairingly wrote : 

" My days are in the yellow leaf, 

The flowers and fruit of life are gone, 
The worm, the canker, and the grief, 
Are mine alone." 

O, what sad utterances these are, to come from 
the famous poet! Within his troubled soul 
there dwelt a flame of unspeakable woe. No 
heavenly light cheered him while he passed 
through death's gloomy vale. No Jesus was 
with him to give him solace in his lonely mo- 
ments. No Almighty hand was there to lift 
the veil — so dark, which covered his eyes. 
All was gloom, — deep, sorrowful, impenetrable 
gloom. 

10 



138 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

It is impossible, also, to enter heaven by the 
door of scholarship. The value of a good edu- 
cation will not be questioned by any rational 
mind. We live in an age of enlightenment. 
Look at our excellent educational institutions. 
Look at our public schools. What facilities 
they afford for giving instruction to the grow- 
ing population ; and how glorious are the re- 
sults of this mental discipline. All modern 
improvements can be attributed to the extra- 
ordinary power of brain culture. I don't, 
therefore, discard scholarship, when I affirm 
that it will not take a man to heaven ; and I 
say this as a warning to those of my hearers 
(if there are any), who place dependence on 
mental attainments, for salvation and heaven. 
These blessings are to be had only through 
Jesus Christ. He is the door, by which all 
who wish to be saved, must pass in. 0, it is 
a grand entrance, too. Why object to go 
in by it? Have not millions upon millions 
passed in by that very entrance? By such 
entrance the apostolic company, and the 
heroic martyrs, and the mighty hosts of 
Christian ministers who lived in the early 



THE ONLY ENTRANCE. 139 

times, — all these passed into eternal joy, by 
the great door, Christ Jesus ! And now hun- 
dreds are passing in by that door. Christians 
want no other door, for everything they need 
is within the sheepfold of God, and they would 
be unable to get in, except through the door, 
which is Christ. " I am the door : by me if 
any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall 
go in and out, and find pasture." Shelter and 
comfort are found inside God's sheepfold; and 
poor, perishing humanity needs such blessings. 
The storms and trials of life rush cruelly upon 
us, as the simoon of Arabia overtakes the 
traveller; and ofttimes we are in deepest de- 
spair. But when we get into the cleft of the 
*' Rock of Ages," nothing can harm us. A 
party of travellers in the desert, who were 
overtaken by the fierce simoon, came suddenly 
upon a rude building of stone, well protected 
with roof and doors, which the hand of charity 
had erected there in the desert for a shelter. 
With joy they rushed into it, closed the doors, 
and were safe. So when the simoon of adver- 
sity overtakes us, we find refuge in Christ. 
Are you willing to go to Him for salvation? 



140 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

Eemember, if you are ever saved your salva- 
tion will have been obtained through. Christ 
alone, not through wealth, or moral virtue, or 
fame, or scholarship. Though you were in pos- 
session of the vast universe; though your 
knowledge were such that you could scan with 
more than an eagle's eye, the mighty produc- 
tions in the bosom of space ; though your fame 
were so extensive, that your name was familiar 
to the millions of earth, and lauded by the 
world's musicians, till every zephyr wafted 
harmony, and every gale carried with it deep, 
thundering tones, — yet, notwithstanding all 
that, it would be utterly impossible for you 
to be saved, except through the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 0, fling the jewels of earth aside; toss 
away the garment of self-sufliciency ; let not 
the pursuit of popularity be your eternal dam- 
nation; do not rely on mental acquirements 
for future happiness and safety; but come^ 
just as you are, with all your uncleanness and 
imperfections, and cast yourself at the foot- 
stool of sovereign mercy, saying, in the lan- 
guage of the poor pubhcan, " God, be merciful 
to me, a sinner." 



THE ONLY ENTRANCE. 141 

The time will come when the terrestrial will 
fail to attract. In that time great alarm will 
be manifested regarding the fntiire. Then, 
the ghttering coronet will drop from the brow, 
festive songs and mirthfulness will cease, the 
musician's fingers will stiffen on the harp- 
strings, costly robes will be found amongst 
ashes, dazzhng gems will be crushed under 
foot, the eye will stare in wildest horror, the 
earth will rock to and fro, and a mighty flame 
will swoop down upon the reehng pile, causing 
universal destruction. The sleeping milhons 
will wake up to view the wreck of matter and 
the crush of worlds. Then the Supreme Judge 
will come in the clouds of heaven, to judge all 
nations ; and the books shall be opened. At 
the tribunal bar will be gathered an august 
number, and the wicked " shall go away into 
everlasting punishment, but the righteous into 
life eternal." 

0, when that dreadful hour comes, how glo- 
rious it would be to have a refuge in Jesus. 
*' I am the door." 



142 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



SAMUEL IS CALLED. 

"For thou didst call me," — i Samuel, iii,, 8. 

rpmS is the utterance of an only child, named 
-*- Samuel, who, when in his sleeping- apart- 
ment was aroused from slumber by a voice 
which he supposed to be the voice of Eli, the 
high priest. Eh, at the same time was sleep- 
ing in his own apartment, and hence could not 
have called the child. After the first call, 
Samuel hastened away to Eli's chamber, and, 
in a clear, sweet voice, says, "Here am I; for 
thou calledst me." Eh rephes, "I called not; 
lie down again." I fancy I can see astonish- 
ment written on the youthful face of Samuel, 
as he leaves the presence of Eh and returns 
to the couch he vacated a moment before. 
After the second call, Samuel arises and 
appears to Eh again, but he meets with the 
same disappointment he met the first time. 



SAMUEL IS CALLED, 143 

He retires more astonislied than ever. After 
the third call, he goes to EH, who by this time 
perceives that the Lord has called the child; 
and in order to test it, he gives this command 
to Samuel: "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if 
he call thee, that thon shalt say, ' Speak, Lord ; 
for thy servant heareth.' " He leaves at Eh's 
bidding, and lies down again on his couch. 
The Lord then came and stood before him, 
and called, saying, " Samuel, Samuel. " " Speak, 
for thy servant heareth," responded Samuel. 
Then the Lord said to him, "Behold, I will do 
I thing in Israel, at which both the ears of 
every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that 
cay I will perform against Eli all things which 
1 have spoken concerning his house ; when I 
tegin, I will also make an end. For I have 
tdd him that I will judge liis house forever 
fa the iniquity which he knoweth; because 
hs sons made themselves vile, and he restrained 
tlem not. And therefore I have sworn unto 
tie house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eh's 
h)use shall not be purged with sacrifice, nor 
oJering, forever." What a call, and what a 
r3velation that was to Samuel in Shiloh! 



144 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

I remark, first, that God calls the uncon- 
verted. And how very numerous are the ways 
in which he calls ! He calls by means of his 
sacred Word; calls by his Holy Spirit; calls 
by laying the hand of disease or bereavement 
upon us ; calls by depriving us of our posses- 
sions, that we may see the vanity and transi- 
toriness of earthly things. To the worshippers 
of accumulated wealth he says, " Lay not up/ 
for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth 
and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves breal 
throu.gh and steal; but lay up for yourselves 
treasures in heaven, where neither moth na* 
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves no net 
break through nor steal. " To that weepiig 
mother, from whose bosom death has cruely 
taken a loved one, he says, "Prepare to met 
thy God. " To those who are weighed dovn 
with a load of sin, he says, "Come unto ne, 
all ye that labor and are heavily laden, an^ I 
will give you rest." To the many hundreis 
who are recklessly rushing to eternal w|e, 
he says, "Turn ye, turn ye; f or why wilH^e 
die? " All of you who have come to years of 
accountability, can remember the invitations 



SAMUEL IS CALLED. 145 

God has given you to forsake sin's dismal and 
dangerous road, and to select the way leading 
to endless happiness and safety. Jesus has 
whispered these invitations in your ear; and 
you felt that they were full of sweetness, and 
affection, and earnestness. He is indeed the 
sinner's friend; for " he came, not to call the 
righteous, hut sinners to repentance." He is 
not wiUing that any should perish, but rather 
that all should turn to him and hve. Yes, my 
hearers, he yearns intensely for your salva- 
tion — longs for your restoration to his favor — 
anxiously desires to see you firmly estabhshed 
on the Eock of Ages, with your eyes Zion- 
ward. The deep, formidable shades of eternal 
death hover around the sinner as he journeys 
along. He nears the verge of woe unspeak- 
able, approaches a destination awful in the 
extreme ; but the voice of a gracious God rings 
in his ear, apprising him of danger, and say- 
ing, in tones almost audible, " Stop, poor sin- 
ner! stop! not many more steps, and there 
will be the final plunge, — the wild leap into a 
chasm of deepest gloom. " A few days ago, I 
was standing on Prospect Point, from which 



146 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

I had a commanding view of the Falls of 
Niagara. And the mighty plunge of those 
waters over a precipice one hundred and sixty 
feet in height, made me think of that final leap 
so madly taken by unfortunate ones who have 
heard the calls of God, hut have refused to 
heed them. The young man who spends his 
nights in debauchery, hears the Holy Spirit 
calhng upon him to abandon his wicked and 
deleterious practices. The young woman who 
thinks of little else but dress, and does little 
else but adorn herself before flashing mirror, 
she too, hears this voice; and it says to her, 
"Vanity of vanities; all is vanity!" Who, I 
ask, have not gotten a call from Grod? This 
call may be given in a mysterious way. Paul 
was called in a mysterious way when he was 
journeying to Damascus on an embassy of per- 
secution. John Bunyan was called by a ter- 
rific dream which he had concerning the 
Judgment Day. West and Lyttleton were 
called by their endeavors to prove that the 
Bible was an imposture. 

" God moves in a mysterious way, 
His wonders to perform." 



SAMUEL IS CALLED. 14T 

Again, God calls repeatedly . Our efforts to- 
benefit humanity are often relaxed. When 
we are unable to discover immediate results, 
from our labors, we become disheartened, and 
are very often inactive, when all our energies, 
should be in lively operation. By many christ- 
ians there are not a continuous fervor and an 
unwavering purpose exhibited. There may be 
an occasional earnestness shown; but, alas! 
how it hides itself behind the dark cloud of 
relaxation ! and the effect of this inconstancy 
in the sphere of christian vocation, is keenly 
felt by both pastor and congregation. Such 
inconstancy, however, is not displayed by the 
Lord Jehovah. In him "there is no variable- 
ness, neither shadow of turning." He doea 
not call the sinner but once, and then entirely 
desert him. No; his calls are frequent, although 
the responses are few. On his part there is. 
no abandonment of desire, but a continuous, 
longing for the restoration of the wayward 
prodigal. 

And he calls ajfectionately ^ also. His love 
for us is beyond our comprehension. Its depth 
is unfathomable. Its width is infinite. Its, 



148 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

nature is inconceivably transcendent. Need 
I bring yon to Calvary to convince you that 
the Saviour's call could not be otherwise than 
a call of warmest affection? Need I point out 
to you the lacerated, bleeding body of the Son 
of G-od, in order to satisfy you as to how he 
regards the purchase of his precious blood? 
Need I repeat to you his last utterances before 
he expired on the cross, to prove to you that 
his love towards the offender is unbounded? 
In the battle of Fort Donelson, an orderly ser- 
geant, seeing a rebel point a rifle at the cap- 
tain of his company, sprang in front of him, 
received the ball, and fell dead in the arms of 
his friend whom he had saved. The soldier 
died for his friend; but Christ died for his 
'enemies I 

" unexampled love ! 

O all-redeeming grace! 
With swiftness thou didst move 
To save a fallen race." 

How many christians, when relating their 
religious experience, refer to the happy time 
in their history when Jesus called them. 0, 
they remember that call, as if they had heard 
it but yesterday. They recollect how affec- 



SAMUEL IS CALLED. 149 

tionately it was given. They could not resist 
such a call, and they gloriously yielded. To 
them, the memories connected with their com- 
phance, are richly fraught with sweetness, 
and satisfaction, and joy. But, my hearers, 
that same voice which spoke to them, is speak- 
ing to you now in all love and tenderness. 
The Saviour invites you to the gorgeous han- 
quet, to feast on spiritual luxuries. A dazzhng 
host of angels are waiting to strike their 
harps and raise their anthems of joy, to wel- 
come you; and the world's Redeemer, with 
outstretched arms, stands in readiness to 
receive you, and to invest you with a robe of 
entire forgiveness, so that you shall rejoice in 
the consciousness that you are a child of Grod, 
that Jesus Christ has loved you and given him- 
seK for you, that all your sins are blotted out, 
and you are an heir to everlasting hfe. Among 
earthly kings t3rrants have been found; but 
the King of heaven is no tyrant. He is full 
of compassion and love; and when he warns 
the sinner to escape eternal death, he does so 
lovingly, yet earnestly. 



150 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

I remark, further, that the call of God is 
disregarded hy multitudes. Other calls are 
oheyed. When impure literature calls, there 
are a thousand voices to say, " Yes, we cheer- 
fully obey thy call." When the intoxicating 
chalice sends forth its invitation, there are 
thousands to accept it. When a call is given 
to enter into a dishonest and dangerous busi- 
ness, a thousand will rush in wild excitement, 
to commence building up a fortune, at the 
expense of their own souls and the souls of 
others. 0, it is too true, that there are multi- 
tudes more ready and willing to become ser- 
vants of Satan, than to be the servants of the 
Most High God — more ready and willing to be 
representatives of pandemonium, than of the 
church. Alas, what a damaging example such 
people set to tender youth! The other day, 
when passing through Laurel Hill cemetery, 
so sublimely silent, I looked, with solemn ad- 
miration, upon the monuments and tombstones 
which suggest so much that is sorrowful. But 
among the towering shafts, I discovered a 
small, plain tombstone, on which were carved 
these words : " Here lies the body of our dear 



II 



SAMUEL IS CALLED. 151 

mother, who taught us how to hve, and how 
to die." 0, that mother set to her children a 
truly grand and noble example ! Great is her 
reward in heaven. When on earth she spurned 
the calls of a wicked world, and faithfully 
obeyed a call into the enjoyment of peace, and 
hght, and life, and eternal ecstasy. But I 
have to mourn when I think of the vast num- 
bers of perishing men and women, who treat 
God's kind invitation, only with indifference, 
when every moment of their existence is hur- 
rying them to that brink from which they must 
take flight into eternity. I become depressed, 
as I stand in the presence of this congregation, 
and look into the faces of those whose genial 
nature and nobleness of character have en- 
deared them to me, and find that we cannot 
strike hands and say: " We're one in Christ." 
Perchance it is all exhilaration with you now ; 
buii let me say to you the time will come in 
your history, when you will be smitten by 
disease, or be afflicted by bereavement or ad- 
versity ; and that will be the time when you 
will need a firmer basis than the one on which 
you now stand. That will be the time when 



152 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

you will most need the smile and the consola- 
tion of the Divine Master. I hold up before 
you, therefore, a Saviour who is the stay of 
his distressed children. He will never leave 
them; he will never forsake them. 

Lastly, I remark, that the results of oheying 
the call of God are glorious in their nature. 
Old things pass away, and all things become 
new. There is a happy transformation of the 
inner nature, which brings peace, and freedom, 
and joy in the Holy G-host. There is a com- 
plete removal of those feelings of dread, which 
the unconverted person has often, yet vainly 
endeavored to crush out, by minghng with the 
gay and indulging in sinful sports. The con- 
demnation of sin throws, no longer, its porten- 
tous shadows around the obedient one ; and he 
can say rejoicingly : 

"No condemnation now I dread — 

Jesus, with all in him, is mine; 
Alive in him, my living Head, 

And clothed in righteousness divine, 
Bold I approach th' eternal throne, 
And claim the crown, through Christ my own." 

There is no more wandering over the cragged 
mountains of sin and folly, no more feeding 



SAMUEL IS CALLED. 153 

upon the Imsks that the swine did eat, no 
more lamentations on account of being away 
from home. The poor Prodigal enters a stately 
residence; a robe, shining and precious is 
given him; and he sits down to enjoy the 
grand banquet furnished by the King of kings. 
The music of reconcihation falls sweetly upon 
his ear, while he can almost catch the mellow 
strains of angehc choristers, as they chant 
the praises of Him who hath loved us, and 
washed us in his own blood. Glorious resto- 
ration ! Blessed change ! Happy experience ! 
But, in imagination, I fly to the mansions 
above, to see the results of obeying God's 
call. Those who have come out of great 
tribulation are there ; but they know not sor- 
row now. They have triumphantly crossed 
over that boundary separating sorrow from 
joy, gloom from efi'ulgence, sin from hohness, 
earth from heaven. They are entirely exempt 
from all that is painful, or even disagreeable. 
They are enjoying the society of loved ones; 
they are inhahng the pure, untainted air of 
that country so bright and so fair; they are 

singing a new song with the hundred and forty 
11 



154 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

and four thousand before the throne ; they are 
rejoicing in the real presence and loving smile 
of the Eedeemer. Their condition is indes- 
cribably happy. The glowing descriptions of 
the Saints' inheritance, written by a Baxter 
and a Bunyan — these convey to our minds 
only a faint idea of that Everlasting Kest ; for 
it is far, far beyond the skill of human genius 
to give anything approaching an accurate des- 
cription of it. No flight of imagination, no 
use of language, no artist's skill, can aflord a 
correct knowledge of it. This we shall not be 
able to obtain until the everlasting gates of 
the celestial city shall swing open, and we are 
admitted to behold it all, without the inter- 
vention of a dimming veil. 

" Though earth has full many a beautiful spot, 
As a poet or painter may show, 
Yet more lovely and beautiful, holy and bright, 
To the hopes of the heart and the spirits' glad sight- 
Is the land that no mortal may know. 

" O, who but must pine in this dark vale of tears, 
From its clouds and its shadows to go, 
To walk in the light of the glory above, 
And to share in the peace, and the Joy, and the love 
Of the land which no mortal may know. 



SAMUEL IS CALLED. 155 



" There the crystalline stream, bursting forth from the 
Flows on, and forever will flow; [throne, 

Its waves, as they roll, are with melody rife, 
And its waters are sparkling with beauty and life, 
In the land which no mortal may know. 

"And there, on its margin, with leaves ever green. 
With its fruits healing sickness and woe, 
The fair tree of life, in its glory and pride. 
Is fed by that deep, inexhaustible tide 
Of the land which no mortal may know. 

Happy, indeed, are all those who inhabit 
that delightful country 1 Will they ever regret 
having obeyed the call of the Divine Master? 
Never! but they will rejoice evermore that 
they responded, and said, as did Samuel, 
" Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." 0, 
that this same response were now given by all 
the unsaved in this house. 0, that there may 
be a general compliance with the earnest in- 
vitation of the Saviour. Break loose from the 
tenacious grasp of a vain, delusive world, and 
trust yourself in the arms of one who is 
mighty to save. While passing through the 
Art Grallery on the Centennial grounds, my 
attention was attracted to three large paintings 
which hung together. One was entitled 
" Youth," and it represented a young man 
starting out in life. Another of the pictures 



156 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

was entitled " Manhood, " and it represented a 
man in the prime and vigor of hfe, bravely 
batthng against the storms of this world, and 
the other picture was entitled " Old Age," and 
it beautifully represented a man of white locks, 
and feeble frame, and tottering step, walking 
along the brow of a steep mountain. Far be- 
hind him could be seen a road exceedingly 
rough and intercepted by dangerous precipices. 
This road he had successfully travelled over; 
and the artist had portrayed him as having 
almost completed his earthly pilgrimage, and 
as looking forward, with rapturous expecta- 
tions, to the heavenly home, where there is 
everlasting rest. In that picture I saw the 
angels coming to meet and congratulate him, 
and to bear him in triumph through the pearly 
gates of the eternal city. And I earnestly 
pray that each one of this gathering may, 
after passing off the stage of earth, be con- 
veyed by angel bands to the haven of f ehcity ; 
that the music of heaven's harps may dehght 
you in eternity ; and that your eyes may rest 
on the great, white throne, and upon the King 
in his beauty. Amen. 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS, 157 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS. 

"And they all with one consent began to make excuse." — 
Luke XIV., 18. 

A CEETAIN man prepared a sumptuous 
-^^ feast for the entertainment of his friends. 
It was a splendid display. The banqueting 
house was briUiant with festal lights. Busy 
servants hurried to and fro in the magnificent 
hall, viands sent forth a dehcious fragrance 
upon the night air, hilarity gleamed from 
every countenance, and the entire scene was 
very imposing. The philanthropic master of 
the house, seeing that everything was in readi- 
ness for the distinguished guests, sent his 
servants out " to say to them that were bid- 
den, 'come; for all things are now ready.' 
And they all with one consent began to make 
excuse." One wished to be excused because 
he had to go and inspect some land he had 



158 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

purchased. Another wished to be excused 
because he had bought five yoke of oxen, and 
had to prove them. Another desired to be 
freed from the obhgatipn because of his hav- 
ing assumed the responsibihties of a matrimo- 
nial relation. What a disappointment it must 
have been to that generous man who prepared 
the supper! It was a great affront to him, 
when those persons who were asked to the 
banquet would not present an appearance. 
The excuses they offered for not acting in 
consonance with the invitation were flimsy, 
unjustifiable, aggravating excuses. 

At the present day similar excuses are 
offered by those who are invited to the grand 
spiritual feast. Christ has prepared a banquet, 
and sent out the invitations, saying, " Come ; 
for all things are now ready. " But, alas! how 
many refuse to attend the feast of redeeming 
love! Jesus looks compassionately on the 
poor prodigal, sees his destitution, and offers 
to him the bread of eternal hfe ; but the sin- 
ner will not accept it. The Saviour continues 
to plead with the unsaved, and affectionately 
and tenderly says : " Hearken diligently unto 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS. 159 

me, and eat ye that wliicli is good, and let 
your soul delight itself in fatness ; " yet there 
is no acquiescence. 0, worldly-minded, why 
do you not act upon the glorious invitation 
given you? Oh! you allow the world to come 
between you and God. Your affections are 
fixed on secular affairs, on unsanctified amuse- 
ments, on social position, on unrehable treas- 
ures, on insufficient fame. You say: "If I 
should give my heart to the Saviour now, I 
would have to hid adieu to pleasure ; so I desire 
to be excused. " Or you say : " Well, if I were 
to become a christian now, my business would 
be neglected; and therefore I wish to be ex- 
cused. " I tell you, such pleas have no force 
or reason in them. They are unjustifiable. 
They are unsound in the extreme. They have 
brought eternal disaster upon multitudes. 

By God's help I shall endeavor at this time 
to expose the defectiveness and absurdity of a 
few of the pleas offered by the worldly-minded, 
when asked into the ways of peace, and truth, 
and pleasantness : 

Many persons offer the plea, tliat religion 
conflicts with enjoyment. I admit that it does 



160 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

conflict with certain kinds of enjoyment. It 
clashes with all amusements which injure the 
hody, corrupt the mind, and drain the purse. 
The rehgion of Jesus Christ is not something 
that can he twisted ad libitum so as to favor 
ungodly practices and an impious class. It is 
far apart from evil in any form. UnsuUied and 
hright, it reveals itself to the world, sending 
floods of hght over the nations of the earth, 
scattering beams of truth among humanity, 
melting the mountains of sin, giving joy and 
peace, and ennohhng mankind ! And, although 
it conflicts with unholy pleasures, yet it is in 
perfect harmony with true enjoyment, with 
amusements which are healthful, invigorating, 
and untainted with iniquity. The sincere 
christian is not afraid to laugh, or take recre- 
ation at ball, or croquet, or shooting, or 
angling. He enjoys the woods, the streams, 
the ocean, and the flowers, and he can say, 
with the poet : 

"It is God's pleasure that diffuses charms 
Unspeakable o'er mountain, wood, and stream ; 
To think that He who hears the heavenly choir 
Hearkens complacent to the woodland song ; 
To think that He who rolls yon solar sphere 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS, 161 

Uplifts the warbling songster to the sky : 
To mark His presence in the mighty bow 
That spans the clouds, as in the tints minute 
Of tiniest flower ; to hear His awful voice 
In thunders speak, and whisper in the gale ; 
To know and feel His care for all that lives: 
'Tis this that makes the barren waste appear 
A fruitful field ; each grove a paradise, " 

What! Religion versus enjoyment? Ab- 
surd idea ! It gives birth to the highest en- 
joyment. To those who embrace it, reUgion 
spreads out fields of delight undreamt of before 
— fields over which the mind wanders with 
grateful surprise ; now contemplating the per- 
fections and attributes of the Deity ; now lin- 
gering by that sacred, enchanting spot sur- 
rounded by the Judean hills, where the world's 
Redeemer was cradled, and where the notes 
of glad dehverance first fell upon astonished 
ears ; now meditating on the atonement and 
its amazing benefits ; now feasting on the in- 
describable glories of heaven, with its pure and 
genial society, its perennial treasures, its sur- 
passing brilhancy, and its rapturous and over- 
whelming symphonies, — all, all flood the chris- 
tian's soul with heavenly ecstasy. Well may 



162 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

believer " rejoice and be exceeding glad, for 
great is bis reward in beaven." 

0, you wbo tbink religion is a lifeless tbing, 
try it, and your opinion will be cbanged. You 
can never have sweet pleasure witbout it ; and, 
let me tell you, tbat tbat enjoyment is worth- 
less, yea, demoralizing, wbicb will not bear 
tbe ligbt of religion. Never look for sucb en- 
joyment. Tbere is deatb connected witb it. 
Skeleton fingers clutcb tbe man or tbe woman 
wbo "goes in" for tbis kind of pleasure. It 
were better to be in mourning, tban to feel 
tbe tbrill of unsanctified amusements. Tbe 
votaries of tbem are robbed of all tbat is noble 
and good, and are finally thrown into their 
graves, leaving behind only sad memories to 
make tbe living shudder and weep bitterly. 
My hearer, taste the pleasures of a christian 
hfe. They leave no sting behind. Abandon, 
at once and forever, the erroneous idea that 
rebgion opposes enjoyment. Sucb an excuse 
will not bear the pressure of the judgment. 

Again: many persons offer the plea, fhat 
their connection ivitli the church loould cripple 
them in their endeavors to make money. It 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS. 163 

would certainly cripple those who are making 
money in a dishonorable way. But it would 
be no calamity if such persons were crippled. 
The love of money is their ruin. Give me 
poverty, rather than wealth acquired at the 
expense of my reputation and of immortal 
souls ! "What shall it profit a man, if he shall 
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" 
The world is an unsatisfying portion. Its 
treasures vanish, as the pearly dew disappears 
at the sunbeam's touch. The millionaire can 
not retain his gold. Death takes the anima- 
tion out of his fingers, so that he can not hold 
it. Death closes his eyes, so that he can not 
see it. Death steals away his senses, so that 
he can not use it. Ah! it is a great mistake 
to set the heart upon the things of earth, and 
to neglect to care for the soul. The best thing 
a lover of money can do, is to become a christ- 
ian. It will save him. It will make him con- 
scientious. It will cause him to put his money 
to a good use; and the relieved classes will 
bless him; and God will reward him. Even 
if a man make money honorably, there is 
danger of his worshipping it, unless he is re- 



164 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

strained and guided by Divine grace. A cable 
without an ancbor would not avail in a storm. 
The vessel would be driven before the gale, 
and be unmanageable, and, with broken keel, 
and tattered sails, and splintered boom, and 
destroyed masts, she would be hurled on rock 
or beach, a pitiable wreck. So the man who 
is without Christ is like a ship without anchor. 
He is in danger of becoming a stranded wreck. 
Cornelius Yanderbilt, who was worth millions, 
and who died gloriously, regretted deeply his 
lack of " intimate rehgious associations through 
his middle hfe and the main part of his career. " 
He saw the value and felt the power of rehgion. 
And what gave him comfort during his closing 
moments ? His vast possessions ? His world- 
wide celebrity? No! It was this: That 
Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, had tasted 
death for him. 

0, worldhng people, I say to you, in the 
language of the Saviour, "Lay not up for 
" yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth 
" and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves 
" break through and steal : But lay up for 
" yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS. 165 

" moth nor rust dotli corrupt, and where 
" thieves do not break through nor steal. " 
Soon we shall handle the last cheque, and 
receive the last deed, and present the last 
account. Then why so much eagerness for 
that which will be left behind, and which fails 
to supply the wants of the soul? Why so much 
concern for fleeting material? There is a pearl 
whose value overtops the combined millions 
of earth. No amount of money could purchase 
it. The hfe of the Son of God was given 
for it ! That pearl is salvation ! And you can 
have it " without money and without price." 
It is yours by trusting in the merits of the 
atonement, by beheving in the Lord Jesus. 
Christ. God grant that this salvation may 
come to you to-day; yea, this moment! 

I remark, again, that many persons offer the 
plea, tliat there is plenty of time yet to attend 
to religion. A man who was determined to 
enjoy the pleasures of this world, said it was 
too soon for him to think of another world. 
He started out on a journey, and, when at the 
Inn, he was taken seriously ill. The people 
there sent for a clergyman. He came; and 



166 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

before the minister could speak, the dying 
man looked him in the face and said, " Sir, it 
is too late!" The minister said to him," Christ 
is able to save to the uttermost, " and explained 
the plan of salvation to him. But the man's 
reply was, " Sir, it is too late ! " and he died, 
uttering the doleful words, " It is too late ! " 
What reasons have you for believing that there 
is ample time to attend to rehgion? Does 
the Bible tell you there is time enough? Do 
your own observations convince you that there 
is time enough? No! Then bring forward 
no such plea. If the enemy of souls can only 
get people into the belief that it is unneces- 
sary to put forth an immediate effort to obtain 
salvation, he feels sure that he is going to have 
accessions to his infernal ranks. Disappoint 
him. Let him not chuckle over his scheme, 
nor grin over the success of his subtlety. "Be 
ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think 
not, the son of man cometh." 

"Time enough yet?" Think of your many 
acquaintances who have been stricken down 
suddenly by the sickle of de at h ! " Time enough 
yet?" Think of the hundreds that are annu- 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS. 167 

ally swept away by various diseases, young and 
old sharing the same fate! "Time enough 
yet?" Listen to the warnings of God, which 
come thundering in your ears, at early morn, 
at mid- day, at evening, and at the solemn 
hour of night. "Time enough yet?" Hear 
the chapel bell tolling a funeral knell for the 
departed, and see the mournful procession 
slowly and solemnly moving towards the 
cemetery! "Time enough yet?" Look at 
your own frail body, growing weaker and 
weaker every day by the constant gnawing of 
consumption or some other disease ! God has 
not given you any more time than is required. 
He has not said, " Give me your heart in a 
year or two, at present it is too soon. " No 1 
But he has said, "Now is the accepted time, 
now is the day of salvation." Archias, a 
Grecian chief -mgistr ate, was so unpopular, that 
his people conspired against his hfe. The day 
arrived for the execution of the plot. , Archias 
was crazed with wine, when a courier arrived 
from Athens, and hastened to put into his 
hands a circumstantial account of the whole 
conspiracy; and, at the same time, he ad- 



168 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

dressed the magistrate as follows : "My Lord, 
the person who writes you these letters, con- 
jures you to read them immediately; they 
contain serious affairs." Archias rephed, 
"Serious affairs to-morrow;" and continued 
his revel. That night, in the midst of his 
mirth, the conspirators rushed into his palace, 
and murdered him and his associates. Now, 
I have here a letter from Jehovah, addressed 
to you. In one place I read this warning, 
"Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know 
not when the time is." And in another place 
I find this passage, "Except ye repent, ye shall 
all hkewise perish." And in another place I 
come across these words, " How shall we 
escape if we neglect so great salvation?" 
Dare you treat this letter in the way Archias 
treated the communications brought to him? 
If you do, you risk your immortal soul, and 
expose yourself to eternal death. Now put 
forth an effort to escape ! The day of judg- 
ment is approaching. Eternity is before you. 
Tarry no longer. 

"Act, act in the living present, 
Heart within, and God o'erhead. " 



UNJUSTIFIABLE PLEAS. 169 

The tables are laden with viands. The in- 
vitations to the supper have been circulated. 
You are invited. Make no excuse, but now 
pass in, and find pardon and peace in Jesus. 
This may be your last chance. Who can tell 
when the scene shall change, and when the 
mighty angel shall stand, with one foot on the 
sea and the other on the land, and swear by 
Him that hveth for ever and ever, that time 
shall be no longer? 




12 



170 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 



THE SUPKEME JUDICATUEE, 

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." — 
i2e'?;eZa^20?i XX., 12. 

rpHE judgment day is at hand ! The earth 



i 



is being swallowed up by cruel flames 



Hear the crackling noise of burning forests ! 
Oceans now vacate the beds which they occu- 
pied for many centuries. Hear the waves' 
terrific roar ! Huge rocks, that so long stood 
boldly against mighty blasts, now shiver and 
fall. Hear the crashing ! The dead now come 
to hfe at the sounding of the trumpet, and are 
fast assembling .before the Great Judge. The 
final earthly scene has been witnessed, the last 
drama has been acted, the curtain has dropped 
to rise no more; the foot-hghts have been 
extinguished, and the theater of sublunary 
hfe is dark, and empty, and silent. "And I 
saw the dead, small and great, stand before 
God." 



THE SUPREME JUDICATURE. 171 

I remark, first, that tliere loill he a general 
juclgmerit. The Bible backs me when I make 
this significant assertion. It says, in one 
place, " For we shall all stand before the judg- 
ment seat of Christ"; and in another place, 
" For we must all appear before the judgment 
seat of Christ; that every one may receive 
the things done in his body, according to that 
he hath done, whether it he good or bad." I 
fancy I see many millions of human beings 
arraigned before the Supreme Judge. It is 
an overwhelming spectacle! The present 
population of the globe numbers about one 
bilhon two hundred miUions. A vast crowd 
that would be, were they all together. But 
only think of the milhons of human beings 
who have hved and died since Adam was 
placed in the garden. Think of the genera- 
tions that have risen and fallen during the 
space of nearly six thousand years. Then 
imagine the vastness of the assemblage on the 
day of judgment. Subhme, overpowering, 
stupendous scene! Human beings on the 
right hand, on the left hand, in front of you, 
and behind you. Cast your eye anywhere, and 



172 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

you see men, women, and children. The 
sounds of the archangel's trumpet have died 
away; the music of angel harps has ceased; 
and the mighty Judge takes his seat on the 
great white throne. Now the books are opened, 
and the trial commences. It is the highest 
court of justice, and therefore every case will 
be finally settled ! No postponements from the 
want of evidence. Listen to the cry : " Rocks, 
mountains, fall on us, and hide us from the 
face of him that sitteth on the throne, and 
from the wrath of the Lamb : for the great 
day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be 
able to stand? " The wicked cry in vain, for 
God's all-searching eye can find them wherever 
they are. None shall escape his notice. 0, 
Grod, thou art omniscient ! Who dare attempt 
to hide from thy face? Thou art omnipotent! 
Who dare contend against thee? Thy thun- 
derings appall. Thy hghtnings smite. Thy 
winds destroy. Thy waters are beyond human 
control. 

Again, I remark, that on the occasion of the 
general judgment tliere will he an infliction 
of punishment on the ivicked. And this pun- 



THE SUPREME JUDICATURE, 173 

ishment will be everlasting. It will not be 
confinevient for a specified number of years; 
but torment^ enduring throughout the immeas- 
urable and astounding eternity! The wicked 
" shall go away into everlasting punishment." 
They will have to leave nearest and dearest 
friends, and enter the caverns of darkness and 
despair, where the Saviour's gracious presence 
is not enjoyed, where hope is unknown, where 
there are " weeping and gnashing of teeth. " 
What a woful separation that will be ! — a sep- 
aration, never, never to meet again. 

Some years ago a man went to Cahfornia to 
seek his fortune. Before leaving his family to 
go there, he promised that when his prospects 
brightened he would send money to enable the 
family to go to him. During his absence, his 
wife received many letters from him ; but no 
money came until after a long, long time. 
The anxious mother and her little child then 
started for San Francisco. All went well 
until one day there was heard a piercing cry 
of " Fire ! Fire ! " Every effort was put forth 
to extinguish the flames, but all in vain. The 
captain ordered the life-boats to be lowered ; 



174 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

and it was found that there were not boats 
enough for all on board, and among those left 
behind were this woman and her little child. 
She pleaded so very earnestly to be taken, that 
one in the boat wanted the others to take her ; 
but they refused. At last, however, they con- 
sented to take one of them; and that fond 
mother pressed that darling child to her bosom, 
and then dropped him into the boat, which soon 
was far from the burning vessel and the scene 
of conflagration. Distressing separation! 
Mother and child cruelly torn from each 
other! And oh, what must have been her 
feehngs as she gazed for the last time upon 
the youthful and innocent face of her boy, and 
thought of her husband whom she expected to 
embrace in a short time? But her cry of an- 
guish soon became faint, and her frantic move- 
ments soon ceased; for the burning vessel 
made one dreadful plunge, hurling the poor 
unfortunates into a watery grave. The sepa- 
rations, however, which will take place on the 
judgment day, will be infinitely sadder than 
the separation of which I have just spoken. 
The unsaved daue'hter will look, for the last 



THE SUPREME JUDICATURE. 175 



time, into the glowing face of a praying moth- 
er, whose christian counsel she discarded, 
whose noble example she refused to follow, 
and whose dying words she heeded not. The 
bitter memories of the irretrievable past will 
torture her. The opportunities she once had 
to prepare for the solemn futurity, will mar- 
shal themselves before her mind in formidable 
hosts. She will think of the many sermons 
she heard preached, of the prayer meetings 
she attended, and of the Spirit's strivings with 
her. Then, in the midst of her intense agony, 
she will exclaim: "Oh, that I had taken the 
advice of my christian mother! Oh, that I 
had accepted salvation when Christ offered it ! 
Now it is too late ! The harvest is past, the 
summer is ended, and I am not saved!" The 
unconverted mother will behold a daughter 
taking a position with the ransomed of the 
Lord; the unconverted son will see the face 
of his sanctified father lighted up with heav- 
enly smiles. But that father's resting-place 
will not be the son's resting-place ; that father 
will wear a crown, but the son will not ; that 
father's fingers will gracefully move across the 



176 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

strings of a golden harp, producing a flood of 
harmony, but, from that instrument the son 
will never bring sweet sounds. His song will 
be a dirge, woful, bitter and depressing 1 The 
unconverted father will look up wildly, when 
he hears the words, " Well done ! " addressed 
to a son whom he persecuted because of his 
christian principles. That son will go " where 
the wicked cease from troubling " ;• but that 
father will go into everlasting punishment! 
Depend upon it, God will, on that " great day 
of his wrath, " send his severe chastisements 
on the ungodly. 

"Woe to the men on earth who dwell, 
Nor dread the Almighty's frown, 
When God doth all his wrath reveal. 
And shower his judgments down. 

" Sinners, expect those heaviest showers; 
To meet your God, prepare; 
For lo! the seventh angel pours 
His vial on the air. " 

Further, not only will the wicked be forever 
deprived of the company of loved ones, but 
they will also be debarred from entering 
heaven. They will not be permitted to partici- 
pate in the joys of that felicitous abode. The 



THE SUPREME JUDICATURE. Vll 

music of angel choirs will not fall upon their 
ears ; the grandeur of the New Jerusalem will 
not gladden their eyes ; the luscious fruits of 
the tree of life will not be eaten by them ; nor 
will they drink out of the beautiful river that 
flows by the great white throne. Ah, no! 
Their place of habitation will be one of terrific 
gloom and extreme misery. Devils will be 
their associates, and the dolorous wail of lost 
souls will be one of the causes of their exces- 
sive distraction. 

But the wicked will also be punished by a 
loss of the friendship and presence of God. 
To lose God, is to lose everything that apper- 
tains to real and durable happiness, for He is 
the grand fountain of every blessing. To be 
deprived of a Saviour's love and presence, is 
to be deprived of the soul, to be sent out of 
heaven, to be separated from dear ones, to be 
cast into a burning hell ! How dreadful is the 
situation of the ship-wrecked voyager when, 
on a broken spar, he is tossed about by the 
wild breakers, and there is no help near him, 
nor the smallest speck of land in sight. The 
waves, dashing against him, have drenched his 



178 IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 

thin garments, and lie is perishing with cold. 
For several days and nights he has been cling- 
ing to that piece of timber, and during all that 
time he has been without food. The ocean's 
foam has settled on his emaciated and shiver- 
ing form, the dew of death has gathered on 
his pale brow, and he must shortly perish, for 
the little remaining strength is fast leaving 
his nerves. The winds sigh around him, and 
the roar of waters is his death knell! But 
sadder, far sadder will be the situation of that 
one, to whom it will be said, on the judgment 
day : " Depart ! thou cursed, into everlasting 
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ! " 

Lastly, I remark, that on the occasion of 
the general judgment tliere ivill he a hequeath- 
ment of reivards to the righteous. I gladly 
make this transition to a pleasing topic ; for 
while it is my duty to speak of punishments, 
as well as rewards, I nevertheless dread to 
proclaim the terrors of the divine law. The 
true nature of the rewards to be received by 
the righteous, is beyond human comprehension. 
Paul says : " Eye hath not seen, nor ear 
heard, neither have entered into the heart of 
man the things which God hath prepared for 



THE SUPREME JUDICATURE. 179 



them that love him." Is not this great en- 
couragement for that christian mother who 
chmbs the steep hill of difhculty? All may 
be darkness now ; but just a little farther on 
there are the flashing lights of the celestial 
city. Those with whom you mixed in days 
gone by, may have been carried by angels to 
a brighter land, leaving you alone and sad; 
but you will have only a little more strugghng, 
after which will come the happy greeting. 
Your body may ache and your tears flow ; but 
when you shall have passed through the pearly 
gates, you will feel no pain and shed no tears. 
0, what a glorious future awaits the child of 
God! He need not tremble on the day of 
judgment ; for Jesus will smile upon him and 
say to him, " Come, thou blessed of my father, 
and inherit the kingdom prepared for thee from 
the foundation of the world." The New Jeru- 
salem will burst out upon his vision, in gran- 
deur and sublimity ; a crown of glory will be 
placed on his head ; a white robe will be given 
him, also a golden harp ; and, in the very 
highest transport, he will join the angelic hosts 
in praising the Lamb who died for all. 



180 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

But tlie pleasures in which the inhabitants 
of heaven share, are lasting. The refulgent 
hght of Jehovah's palace will never grow faint ; 
the music of angel choirs will never cease, but 
the gush of melody, rising higher and higher, 
will flow on incessantly, making the supernal 
corridors echo happy responses ; no frost will 
enter that paradise, to leave its blighting 
effects upon dehcious fruits and odorous flow- 
ers; eternity cannot impair the burnished 
walls of that heavenly city; death will not 
pass in there to mar the pleasure of the shin- 
ing ones. 

" No clouds e'er pass along the sky — 

Happy land; 

No tear-drops glisten in the eye — 

Happy land; 

They drink the gushing streams of grace, 

And gaze upon the Saviour's face, 

Whose brightness fills that holy place — 

Happy land! " 

Sir Walter Scott met a friend on one of the 
streets of Edinburgh, and then both had a 
discussion on the subject of earthly happiness. 
While they were engaged talking, a simple 
lad, called Daft Jamie, passed by them; and 
one of the gentlemen stopped the boy, and 



THE SUPREME JUDICATURE. 181 

asked him if he was perfectly happy. He an- 
swered, " Yes;" but Sir Walter said, " Is there 
naething ava that troubles you, Jaraie?" 
" Ouie, sir"; replied Jamie, " I wud be unco 
weal and happy, war it not for ae thing." 
" Now," said Sir Walter, turning to his friend, 
" you will find that every person has some- 
thing in this world, either real or imaginary, 
that keeps him from being completely happy." 
But, my hearers, the inhabitants of heaven 
live in an atmosphere of unalloyed happiness. 
Oh, while I look into your faces my heart 
yearns for your eternal safety. I see persons 
whose brows show the marks of care ; and I 
see the beauty and vigor of youth, and wonder 
how it will be with you when the " dead, small 
and great," shall stand before God. Will the 
judgment day bring you happiness or woe, 
peace or misery, hght or darkness, gain or de- 
privation, heaven or — hell? Will you take a 
seat among the Daniels, and the Pauls, and 
the Wesley s, and the Whitfields ; or will you 
go down into the caverns of the lost, to spend 
an eternity with devils ? Will yours be a song 
of gladness, or a lamentable dirge? These are 



182 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

not idle questions, but questions of the great- 
est importance. Then, what will be your de- 
cision? Decide to take Christ, and you will 
gladly welcome the judgment, knowing that 
" there is laid up for you a crown of righteous- 
ness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, 
shall give you at that day. " 

If, while you are now in your seats, you 
heard the angel's trumpet sounding to call 
forth the dead, and felt the earth jar beneath 
your feet, and, upon looking out of the win- 
dow, saw an illumination in the clouds, caused 
by the brightness of the Almighty One — the 
Judge of all nations, — what dread would fill 
your hearts; what frantic movements you 
would make ; what distressing cries you would 
utter. You would feel you were not prepared 
for the judgment, and great would be your 
agony. But, as it now is, you have every 
opportunity to prepare. You have not been 
commanded to render an account of your 
stewardship. Then improve the time now 
afforded you. Be in readiness for the final 
reckoning. Delay not a moment. " Be ye 
also ready; for in such an hour as ye think 
not the son of man cometh. " 



THE SUPREME JUDICATURE. 183 

The boy who has been away from the old 
homestead for long years, is received with 
many congratulations, when he returns. The 
aged mother forgets her infirmities when the 
long- absent son puts in his appearance; and 
she rushes joyously forward to embrace him. 
The greeting is a happy one. And when I 
see you on the judgment day, I earnestly hope 
that I can grasp the hand of each one of you, 
and offer you my hearty congratulations. 
Amen. 



184 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



PEOOFS OF A GOOD MOTHEE. 

" She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth 
not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her 
blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." — Proverbs 
XXXI., 27, 28. 

4 GOOD mother is an invaluable gift. Her 
-^ influence is not confined exclusively to 
the home circle, but goes far and immeasurably 
beyond the boundary of domestic life. Astron- 
omers tell us that the distance between the 
earth and the sun is about ninety-five millions 
of miles ; but who can ascertain the extent of 
a good mother's influence? Mathematical 
rules will not lead to the discovery. Silently 
her influence is working through the family 
till it reaches society, and through society till 
it becomes felt in future ages. Dr. Talmage 
says : " The door-sill of the dwelling-house is 
the foundation of church and state." The 
teachings of one exemplary mother have 



PROOFS OF A GOOD MOTHER. 185 

moulded the destinies of hundreds. Men have 
gone into the arena of puhhc hfe, taking with 
them those grand principles which they, while 
under the parental roof, were taught to cherish. 
Statesmen, who in early youth had received 
good home training have exhibited that train- 
ing as they spoke in the House of Congress. 
Greorge Washington's piety, purity and truth- 
fulness were rays refracted from his mother. 

Allow me, at this time, to bring forward 
what I consider to be proofs of a good mother. 

It is a proof of her excellence if she maizes 
home attractive. A home without maternal 
love in it, has very few attractions. The father, 
the sister, or the brother may be affectionate ; 
but if she, who is queen of the household, does 
not hghten the burden of her son or daughter 
by her genial smiles, and kind expressions, and 
warm sympathy, then the home is far, far from 
what it should be. 0, I pity the unfortunate 
children who get no consolation from their 
mother ! The youth have their httle troubles 
and sorrows, and they need solace. We who 
have grown to manhood and womanhood, may 
look hghtly upon their tears and consider their 

13 



186 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

troubles insignificant; but let us remember 
that they are heavy for tlieifYi to bear, and that 
we do not see their perplexities through youth- 
ful eyes. What would make the relentless 
laugh, would bring bitter tears from the eyes 
of little ones. Mothers, give them your sym- 
pathy, then. Take them affectionately by the 
hand, and wipe away the tear. Make them feel 
that you sympathize with them when their 
hearts throb from sorrow. It is just as easy 
to bestow on them a smile as a frown. It is 
quite as convenient for you to speak kindly to 
them as to speak harshly. And how much 
good it would do them to be looked at lovingly, 
and spoken to sympathetically ! They wiU soon 
have sorrow of a different kind ; and no mother 
will be near to comfort them. They will have 
to face the cold, unfriendly world, and their 
childhood's home will be a thing of the past, 
and their mother will be in her grave, or else 
far away from them, and the family circle will 
be broken, and the sorrows and joys of inno- 
cent youth will have departed forever. Then, 
before your children bid farewell to home and 
wander out upon the world, show them such 



PROOFS OF A GOOD MOTHER. 187 

love, speak to them in such tones, that home 
shall have charms for them; that they shall 
feel more happy and contented at their own 
fireside, than they would feel anywhere else; 
and, in after years, their minds shall revert 
with pleasure and gladness to the period of 
their infancy ; and they will hless mother, and 
thank God for having bestowed on them a gift 
so precious. 

It is impossible for me to think of my home 
without a throbbing heart and happy emotions. 
When I get melancholy (for we all get dispir- 
ited at times) very often the cheering words of 
my affectionate, christian mother come into 
my mind ; and I am strengthened and encour- 
aged. 0, it is comforting to know that there 
is one on earth who prays for me, and holds me 
in remembrance, although I am far from her 
side. 

"A mother's love! 
If there be one thing pure, 
Where all beside is sullied; 

That can endure 
When all things pass away; 
If there be aught 
Surpassing human deed, or word, or thought. 
It is a mother's love. 



188 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

It is another proof of a mother's excellence, 
if she sets a beneficial example to her children. 
How many sons and daughters have been eter- 
nally ruined by the cursed example of their 
mothers! How many children have been 
taught by their mothers to use Grod's name 
irreverently, to lie, to cheat, to steal, to drink 
from the inebriating chalice, to indulge in un- 
sanctified amusements, to neglect the House 
of God, and to look Hghtly upon rehgion? 
0, mothers, your example is either ennobhng 
or demorahzing those whom God has intrusted 
to your keeping. If your children see vice 
and immorahty at home, their lives will be 
characterized by viciousness and immorahty 
when they are abroad, and your gray hairs will 
be brought down in sorrow to the grave, and 
your children will curse you. A young man 
was convicted of murder. His mother visited 
him in his cell; and when there she was forced 
to hsten to this remark from the murderer, — 
"If it had not been for you, I should never 
have been here ! " What bitter remorse must 
have seized that mother when she was thus 
impeached by her son, upon whom the sen- 



PROOFS OF A GOOD MOTHER. 189 

tence of death had been passed ! A child — 
made a murderer by her example! 

How important it is that mothers set forth 
a good example in presence of their children ! 
It is natural for the child to do as the mother 
does. Hence, if her deportment be consistent 
and praise- worthy, the child's behaviour will 
be such. Richard Cecil, once an infidel, re- 
solved to be a christian because he was im- 
pressed with the life of his pious mother, and 
desired to emulate her virtues. Samuel Budg- 
ett's conversion was the result of his mother's 
godhke example. Knowing, then, the force 
of example, it should be the aim of the mother 
to set an example worthy of imitation. If she 
does this, she will, at her death, have left to 
her children a grand legacy. 

I know mothers who very seldom attend 
church or Sabbath School; and how can they 
expect their children to take any interest or 
pleasure in going to those places where mother 
is seldom, or perhaps never, found? Of course 
many mothers, although not in the habit of 
teaching in Sunday School, or frequenting the 
house of prayer themselves, are quite willing 



190 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

that their children should go to both places; 
but example is better than precept ; and it is 
the mother's duty to set the example. If it is 
good for the children to hear the gospel 
preached, it is good for the mother also to hs- 
ten to the "glad tidings" of salvation. If the 
children should know how to live and how to 
die, so should the mother. 

The ancient Romans were accustomed to 
place the busts of their distinguished ances- 
tors in the vestibules of their houses, that they 
might be continually reminded of their noble 
deeds. The young grew up to revere the wor- 
thies whose statues they saw so frequently, 
and to emulate the virtues which gave their 
ancestors such lasting fame. Now-a-days 
there are no busts of our excellent ancestors 
kept in the porches of our houses, to stimulate 
the youth to live nobly. But there can be a 
hving example — an excellent character in the 
house, to be imitated and admired by the 
young. I mean the example of a good mother. 
that every family circle were adorned with 
a mother whose hfe would inspire the young 
to hve useful and beautiful lives, so that by 
their example the world would be benefited. 



PROOFS OF A GOOD MOTHER. 191 

Further : It is a proof of a mother's excel- 
lence if she impao'ts wholesome counsel to her 
children. There are young men here who have 
left their homes, hidden a farewell to loved 
ones, and have commenced to battle for them- 
selves. They have started on the voyage of 
life. Young man, what about home? Let me 
ask if you have forgotten the christian advice 
which was given you as you were about to step 
down from the threshold of home ? Have you 
forgotten the tearful eye, and care-worn face, 
and entreating look, and burning utterances of 
that one who, as you were leaving, placed a 
Bible in your trunk, and said, "God bless you, 
my child"? No! Your mother's words are 
fresh in your memory still. You have as clear 
a recollection of the parting, as if it had taken 
place but yesterday. And ofttimes you medi- 
tate on the wise counsel which your mother 
imparted to you. In temptation's hour her 
words have checked you. In times of per- 
plexity you have been relieved by something 
encouraging which she had spoken perhaps 
many years before. Ay, material changes may 
take place in our circumstances; the infirm- 



192 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

ities of old age may cruelly fasten upon us; 
years may roll into oblivion ; those with whom 
we had mingled in childhood's days may pass 
away, and, like a dream, be quite forgotten; 
but never, methinks, will the impressions that 
have been made on our minds by the benig- 
nant words of a loving mother, be erased from 
memory's tablet. They will hnger with us hke 
the last notes of delightful music heard from 
over the still water in the evening time, bring- 
ing to us sweet recollections of the happy past ! 
Mothers, give good advice to your sons and 
daughters ! When a rebuke is needed, don't 
be silent ; but let your words go forth to cau- 
tion, and refine, and beautify. The queen of 
home has power to create within the child's 
breast an intense hatred for vice and a strong 
love for virtue, simply by her every-day teach- 
ing. Or she possesses the power to make the 
child vicious in the extreme. It was a parent's 
teaching that incited Hannibal to march an 
army over the previously untrodden Alps, in 
order that he might vent his spleen against the 
Komans, to whom he was made swear imdy- 
ing hatred. Then, you can readily form an idea 



PROOFS OF A GOOD MOTHER. 193 

of the results of wholesome, christian teach- 
ing. The yonng man who has had the henefit 
of such teaching is not at all likely to do any- 
thing to bring disgrace upon himseK or his 
parents. He is esteemed by society for his 
unflinching integrity, and he rises to a position 
of distinction and trust. His conduct reflects 
credit upon his mother and garlands the family 
circle with honors. 

Again: It is a proof of a mother's excel- 
lence, if she prays for the salvation of her 
children. Her act of praying for them exhib- 
its most beautifully her anxiety to see them 
happy and prosperous in the highest degree. 
It shows the depth of her maternal love, the 
genuineness of her aflection, the lovehness of 
her character, and the grandeur of her ideal 
knowledge. Who would not be solemnly im- 
pressed by seeing a mother alone in her cham- 
ber, kneehng at the bedside, and praying that 
God would bless and convert her dear children ? 
Angehc is her appearance, as, with folded 
hands, and eyes looking towards heaven, she 
holds converse with her Saviour. God hears 
and answers the earnest petitions of the 



194 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 

motlier, and the shining hosts look over the 
battlements of heaven and smile upon her while 
she prays. Many a son has been arrested in 
his sinful career by hearing a mother's prayers. 
Many a haughty, pleasure-loving daughter has 
become penitent for her sins by catching the 
prayerful utterances of a mother. There is 
power in a mother's prayers. A pious woman 
had one son, who grew up gay and dissipated. 
She followed him with prayers and entreaties. 
One day he said to her, "Mother, let me have 
my best clothes ; I am going to a ball to-night. " 
She plead with him not to go ; but all in vain. 
As he was leaving the house, she said to him, 
"My son, remember, when you are dancing, I 
shall be praying to the Lord to convert you." 
At the ball there was not that mirthfulness 
exhibited which is usually seen at dancing- 
parties. An unaccountable gloom hung over 
the whole assembly, and one of the dancers 
remarked, "We never had so dull a meeting in 
our lives." The young man, hearing this re- 
mark, felt his conscience smitten, and he said, 
"I know what is the matter, my poor old 
mother is now praying for her ungodly son." 



PROOFS OF A GOOD MOTHER. 195 

He took his hat, and said, "I will never he 
found in such a place as this again." That 
night he hegan to pray for mercy. His moth- 
er's prayer for his conversion was heard, and 
a glorious response was flashed hack from 
God's throne. Better than fame, better than 
riches, better than high social position, is the 
invaluable boon — a prayerful mother. The 
clod may lie upon her coffin; only a small 
tombstone, and only a few flowers may define 
the spot where sleeps her sacred dust ; but the 
traces of her noble, godlike life will still be 
visible. There will be hving monuments to 
remind us of her many virtues. Though her 
body return to dust, the influence of her exam- 
ple and teachings is imperishable ! Her chil- 
dren would often go to the cemetery to deck the 
mound afresh with roses, or cut the long grass 
so that the flowers might not be entirely con- 
cealed. As the mourners would bend over 
those flowers, tears would fall silently on the 
bright leaves, and deep sobbings would break 
the silence which had previously reigned 
among the tombs of the departed. When such 
a mother dies, do not spare the flowers. Go 



196 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

into the garden and plnck the lovehest and 
best, and place them on her breast, strew them 
upon the coffin-hd, and afterwards implant 
them in the soil beneath which she sweetly 
reposes. They will be hidden for awhile by the 
snow; but at the return of spring go back to 
that grave and straighten up those stems 
which may be prostrated by the weight of 
snow, and smooth the surface of the mound, 
and give 'it an attractive appearance. Show 
that you have not forgotten her. And may 
your hfe be such that when you too shall have 
passed away, there will be loved ones to adorn 
your grave with flowers, and to shed tears over 
your remains. May your many graces and 
noble deeds make your name memorable 
through the ages, and win for you a crown, 
whose lustre cannot be dimmed by the un- 
bounded eternity. Amen. 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 197 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 

"And there was no more sea." — Revelation xxi., 1. 

A S the closing scene in a drama is usually 
^^^ the most striking one ; and as the pero- 
ration of a refined orator's speech contains the 
most beautiful metaphors, the most impressive 
tropes, and the most melodious and gently- 
flowing periods, so the closing chapters of the 
Bible are garlanded with the grandest descrip- 
tions and the most inspiring eloquence. This 
twenty-first chapter of Revelation is certainly 
a glowing description of the Heavenly Jerusa- 
lem ; and the writer, as if eager to encourage 
the christian, almost at the commencement 
makes the glorious declaration: "And there 
was no more sea. " The sea is suggestive of 
cruel separation, of disagreeable uncertainty, 
and of imminent danger. Although we have 
often strolled along tho sea-shore, and looked 



198 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

admiringly at the white-crested waves as they 
rolled in upon the pebbly strand ; — although 
the music of the waters has touched the finer 
feehngs of our nature, bearing us, in tranquil 
thought, far away amongst pleasurable sur- 
roundings and scenes of unspeakable beauty; 
— although we have found solace in some 
lonely retreat close beside the trackless main, 
— still we have a natural dread of the treach- 
erous ocean ; for, as Byron says : 

(Man) " sinks into its depths with bubbling groan — 
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown." 

The sea stops personal communication ; but 
in heaven there loill he no harriers to personal 
intercourse. I have dear relatives in the old 
land; yet the broad Atlantic intervenes, so 
that I cannot grasp their hands, nor hear their 
voices, nor meet their smiles. And there are 
some in this congregation whose affections go 
out over the deep-blue sea. You have loved 
ones in that distant country ; and no wonder 
you feel painfully anxious to be near them 
again. For long, weary years you have been 
deprived of the sweet pleasure of conversing 
face to face with them. The sunny days when 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 199 

you and they joyously lingered together, are 
now no more; and 0, the memories of those 
by-gone hours are sadly sweet to you. At 
evening, while the twilight shadows steal in 
upon you, the scenes of your younger days 
arrange themselves before your mental vision 
in panoramic succession, bringing to your rec- 
ollection genial countenances, and pleasant 
pathways, and festooned bowers, and places of 
rustic attractiveness. You can indulge, how- 
ever, only in dreamy reflection. There is no 
joyous reality. Sometimes you talk of going 
to see the absent ones ; but when you think of 
the mighty deep, you become disheartened and 
will not start on so perilous a voyage. Thus 
you are forbidden the gratification of personal 
intercourse. Thank God, however, the inhab- 
itants of yonder heavenly country will not be 
denied this gratification. No angry ocean in 
heaven ! No turbulent waters there to prevent 
parents meeting with children, or friends com- 
minghng with friends. The redeemed in glory 
shall wing their flight through the celestial 
realms, unimpeded by ocean or tempest. They 
will not have to stand, as we do, on the sea- 



200 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



shore, fearing to lannch. out on the bosom of 
the deep ; nor will they be compelled to turn 
back in bitter disappointment, on account of 
the merciless breakers. 0, no; the inhabit- 
ants of the city of God experience no draw- 
backs. Their movements are uninterrupted, 
and their desires gratified. Prophets are 
privileged to hold interview with one another ; 
martyrs can converse about their present 
ecstasies ; John Wesley can offer his congrat- 
ulations to Whitfield ; and brothers and sisters 
and parents can have interchange of thought, 
for there will be "no more sea!" Happy 
truth! G-lorious hope ! Eadiant future ! 0, 
sorrowing friend, dry up the falling tear, and 
look forward to your heavenly home — the 
place where loved ones meet, never, never 
to part. 

" Yes, we'll meet them in the city 
That is just across the strand, 
And our hearts shall leap with rapture 
When we take them by the hand. 

" O, how sweet shall be the meeting, 
Earthly words can ne'er declare; 
We shall know the bliss of heaven 
When we meet each other there ! " 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 201 

The sea causes disagreeable suspense; but 
in heaven there will he no painful uncertainty. 
When we move out from the harbor and wave 
a farewell to the friends who are painfully 
anxious to catch a ghmpse of the last expres- 
sions on our faces, we are in doubt as to 
whether we shall ever reach our destination. 
We think of a hundred obstacles, either of 
which might debar us from landing on the 
shore for which we started. A shudder comes 
over us, and our hearts throb wildly, and our 
anxiety increases, while we contemplate the 
probabihty of our experiencing bitter disap- 
pointment. All our bright, fond hopes may 
be utterly blasted; our feeUngs, now buoyant 
and gladsome, may, ere long, become sadly 
depressed ; the briUiant future into which we 
now gaze with a joyous expectancy, may 
shortly be shrouded in the garb of deep mourn- 
ing ; the gay bark which now ghdes with us 
over placid waters, may, at any moment, fall 
a prey to the wild waves, and be left, a shat- 
tered hulk, on some lone rock in mid-ocean. 
Alas! how oft 



14 



" The wave, that we danced on at morning, ebbs from us, 
And leaves us, at eve, on the bleak shore — alone, " 



202 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

How frequently do the flowers of onr bright- 
est expectations lose their fragrancy, and droop, 
and die ! Hence, the mind of the voyager is 
in a state of painful uncertainty. He longs 
to reach the desired haven, and to tread the 
terra firma, and meet those on whom his 
heart's affections are placed. Were he but 
positive that he would arrive in safety, his 
suspense would instantly take flight ; but he 
has no such assurance. Doubts and fears 
agitate his bosom, and mar his pleasure. Let 
us rejoice, however, that there will be no dis- 
tressing uncertainty in the Paradise of Jeho- 
vah, — no sensibility of doubt " over the hne 
that defines the boundary " of the christian's 
inheritance. A pleasing positiveness is con- 
nected with heaven. No fluctuating ocean is 
found there, nor changeful winds, to create 
feelings of anxiety and pain. In that "Better 
Land " " sorrow and sighing " are unknown. 
The fond mother will never have occasion to 
fear lest she should not reahze a happy unition 
with her boy. When on earth, she had those 
anxieties. Many a night she has sat alone in 
her cottage, thinking of her absent son, while 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 203 



the wind moaned througli the trees, and the 
angry sea broke violently against the rocky 
coast close by, and the vivid hghtning flashed 
in wild grandeur, and the deafening thunder 
rolled across the sky in terrific peals. That 
mother's heart was sad as she thought of her 
boy who was far out on the infuriated ocean. 
How painfully anxious she was for his return 
to the old homestead. 0, the tears she shed, 
and the heart- aches she experienced on his 
account! Often has she opened the door of 
the cottage to see whether she could discern 
some ship which might bring home the absent 
one. Her tearful eyes have tried to pierce the 
thick darkness of the night, to catch, if pos- 
sible, even the faintest ghmpse of the vessel's 
light; but all in vain! Long years passed 
away, and still that mother was not made 
happy by her son's return. Bitter, indeed, 
was the uncertainty ' that lurked within that 
lonely abode at the sea side. 

Thank God for the fehcitous certainty wjiich 
is in heaven ! 

Again : imminent danger is connected with 
the sea ; but in heaven there will he no danger.. 



204 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 



The ocean's bed is the tomb of thousands. 
Alas! how many steamers, whose decks were 
crowded with human beings, have suddenly 
gone down into the dark waters, carrying with 
them the youth — beautiful and promising, 
and the person in the prime of life, as well as 
him whose locks were whitened by the frosts 
of many winters. The proud ship has struck 
some hidden rock, and merry laughter has 
turned into wild shrieks, cheeks that were 
flushed with hope and delight have become 
deathly pale, music and song were hushed, 
hearts, which only a moment before were hght 
and gay, have been stricken with terror, and 
the cries of anguish have ceased, only when 
the cruel sea had ingulfed the unfortunates ; 
and nought could be heard afterwards but the 
wind's funeral dirge, and the noise of breaking 
waves, and the screech of the sea-bird. Nu- 
merous are the perils of the deep : vessels are 
disabled by adverse winds and driven upon 
the cragged coast, or they are destroyed by 
fire, or they fill and sink because of an un- 
discovered leak formed by the heavy swells. 
This hour may find us gliding serenely over 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 205 

the billows ; and the next hour may find us in 
a watery grave, there to remain till the arch- 
angel's trumpet shall be sounded, at whose 
overpowering noise the earth and the sea shall 
give up their dead. The lamentable wrecks 
that have been recorded tell us of the ocean's 
perils. The steamship Canadian struck on 
a hidden rock and foundered, and nearly all 
on board perished with her ; the Atlantic went 
on the rocks in a fog ; the Arctic and the Yesta 
struck in a fog ; and only a short time ago the 
steamship Schiller sank with nearly all on 
board. 0, what dangers are connected with 
the sea ! How often it happens that the voy- 
ager, who starts out with bright expectations, 
comes in contact with the grim monster Death, 
and passes into a solemn eternity ere he 
reaches the goal of his desires. Deceitful, 
treacherous ocean, in vain do we implore 
thee to 

" Give back the lost and lovely — those for whom 
The place was kept at board and"hearth so long! " 

But in heaven there will be no danger. The 
christian, after entering the celestial city, 
reahzes a happy exemption from all danger, 



206 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT, 

and, in the highest transport, he exclaims, 
"Yictory! victory! through the Wood of the 
Lamb!" 

" Safe in the arms of Jesus, " 

is his song ; and he can use William Hunter's 
dying language, — "All is well, all is well! " 
Somewhere in the East there is said to be a 
tree which is a non-conductor of electricity. 
The people know it ; and when a storm comes 
they flee to it for safety. But the inhabitants 
of the supernal mansions will not need to flee 
for safety. Thunder-storms or ocean-tempests 
will never overtake them. No ship- wreck 
scenes will be witnessed in heaven. There 
the mariner needs no comj)ass, and the voy- 
ager no life-preserver. They will not be made 
to shudder with the piercing cry: "Breakers 
ahead! breakers ahead! " In that fair haven 
of bliss and repose there is no exposure to in- 
jury or death. 0, land of perfect safety and 
serenity ! in it the shipwrecked can find solace 
and protection, — in it the tempest-beaten can 
find everlasting shelter from the storm ! 

Finally : the sea reminds us of cruel separa- 
tion; but in heaven there ivill he no partings. 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 207 

The calamity of being far distant from those 
we love, has left sorrowful traces on the once 
sunny brow, and wrung tears of anguish from 
the eye that once sparkled with delight. The 
gay flowers of the social and family circles are 
plucked and taken away to bloom in another 
land, and to send forth their sweets on another 
air. This earth is a vestibule through which 
our friends are constantly passing — some leav- 
ing aged mothers in remote hamlets — some 
leaving dear brothers and sisters — and some 
leaving the genial associations of their child- 
hood. We hear that a steamship will set sail 
in a few minutes, and we hasten down to the 
harbor to see her start. Upon looking up at 
her deck we see many faces, some smihng, and 
others wearing expressions of sadness. And 
as we are endeavoring to read those expres- 
sions, we hear bitter sobbings from this one 
and that one on the platform. Need I ask 
what's the matter? Alas! there are loved 
ones taking leave of one another. The sad 
and touching Farewell ! comes from tremulous 
voices in that gathering ; and we can readily un- 
derstand why there is this exhibition of grief. 



208 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

Some years ago, I stood on the deck of a 
crowded steamship as she sailed out of the 
harbor of Londonderry, Ireland. She was 
hound for America. A brass band played 
hvely airs as she left the port and dashed out 
upon the blue wave. Just then I turned my 
eyes in the direction of the land we were 
leaving — the land of my boyhood, and I saw 
a scene which awoke within me melancholy 
feehngs. The harbor was thronged with 
spectators, many of whom were bidding a 
farewell to those they would never meet again 
on earth. I shall never forget that sorrowful 
parting ! Husbands were leaving their wives, 
brothers leaving their sisters, children leaving 
their parents, friends leaving their friends. 
Hands were wrung with agony, and eyes were 
suffused with tears, and hearts throbbed with 
emotions of deep regret. There were few 
persons on that Londonderry wharf and few 
on board the departing steamer, who were not 
affected into tears at that trying moment. 
The sound of drum, and the notes of cornet, 
and the clang of cymbal in that band, could 
not remove the sadness which rent the breasts 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 209 

of the hundreds who remained, and the hun- 
dreds who were leaving their native land. 
Even now there is many a cottage and hamlet 
in deep mourning because of the absence of 
those whose joviality and radiant smiles made 
the fireside cheery and the home attractive. 
The voices that rose and fell in sweet cadence, 
are not heard in the spot whence the soothing 
strains once emanated; nor does the festal 
music flit through those rooms which were 
once reverberant with soul-stirring sounds. 
As of yore, the i^^ creeps along the walls of 
the dwelling, and the "old oak tree" near the 
gate proudly rears its head, and the flowers of 
the garden wear their bright tints,- and the 
birds sing sweetly, and the brook down in the 
ravine flows onward with unabating energy; 
still, the sweetness and joy of that homestead 
have been extracted. The loved ones are 
gone ! There remains a sad, sad vacuum ! 

But there are no separations in heaven to 
cast dismal shadows around the redeemed. 
When once there is a renewed union on 
Canaan's shore, the permanency of that union 
is certain. None there will have an inclina- 



210 IN DANGER AND OUT OF IT. 

tion to withdraw from that circle which radi- 
ates the purest love, and the most unaffected 
friendship. Death will not enter that "land 
of pure dehght," to cause separation. "And 
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow 
nor crying, neither shall there be any more 
pain." 0, blessed country! 0, heaven of 
amaranthine brilhancv! 0, home for the 
weary wanderer ! — 

"Where every severed wreath is bound; 
Where none do hear the knell 
That smites the heart with that deep sound, 
Farewell! beloved, farewell!" 

And now, my hearers, I come to an impres- 
sive scene in the drama of earthly life. It is 
the last scene ! Hundreds are standing upon 
the verge of an unbounded eternity. The 
rich and the poor, the youth and the aged are 
there. The harp has breathed out its final 
chords, and nature is seized with a tremulous 
thrill at the sight of that solemn and mysteri- 
ous futurity before it. I see in that gathering 
the blanched cheek and distressful looks of 
the worldling. I hear the deep wail of agony 
sent up by those who have persistently refused 



THE FELICITOUS EXTINCTION. 211 

salvation, till now it is forever too late. On 
the other hand, I see in that gathering, faces 
beaming with a heavenly light, and eyes flash- 
ing with blissful eagerness and holy triumph ; 
and there falls, like music, on my ear, a sound 
of glad voices, saying : " For I am now ready 
to be offered, and the time of my departure is 
at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have 
finished my course, I have kept the faith — 
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of 
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous 
judge, shall give me at that day." 

My brother, my sister, what will be the 
closing scene in the drama of your earthly 
existence? God grant that it may be a scene 
— bright and beautiful — one over which the 
angelic choirs shall chant, and all heaven shall 
smile ! If you fall asleep in the arms of Jesus, 
you shall wake in the sunlight of the supernal 
realms, to behold the sublimity and grandeur 
of the "many mansions," to hear sweetest 
music ringing throughout vast corridors, and 
to embrace those around whom your affec- 
tions fondly cling. 0, let us raise loudest 
hosannas to our God for the sure promises he 



212 



IN DANGER AND O UT OF IT. 



has given us of a home beyond the swelhng 
Jordan — of a home in a land where bereave- 
ment, pain and death are unknown, and where 
there is "no more sea." And now to the King 
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God 
our Saviour — to Him be glory in the church 
by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world 
without end. Amen and Amen 1 



II 




I 



